Nicholas La Strada, the former Missouri director of election integrity, filed a whistleblower lawsuit Monday against Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and the Secretary of State’s Office, alleging he was fired in retaliation for reporting what he believed was misconduct.
La Strada alleges he raised concerns about the use of public funds for an anti-Proposition B mailer and the office’s handling of a certified election in Marshall. He also alleges officials discussed creating a false whistleblower complaint involving Missouri’s statewide voter registration system to use as evidence in a federal hearing while concealing where it originated.
The lawsuit says La Strada reported his concerns to Hoskins and other senior officials, including the office’s general counsel. Days later, he testified at a federal hearing after being ordered to appear. His access to state buildings was suspended before the hearing, according to the lawsuit.
Hoskins terminated La Strada’s appointment April 28, four days after his testimony.
La Strada is seeking damages, attorneys’ fees and other relief under Missouri’s whistleblower protection law.
The lawsuit comes days after the Missouri Supreme Court found Hoskins in civil contempt for directing local election officials to use the state’s 2025 congressional map despite the court’s order blocking its use. The court said Hoskins later purged himself of contempt by reversing course and directing officials to use the 2022 map.
Hoskins faces a separate lawsuit filed Friday by five St. Louis-area voters over his handling of the referendum challenging the 2025 map. The proposed class-action lawsuit seeks up to $500 for each of about 162,000 voters whose petition signatures were verified — potentially totaling about $80 million.