Former Missouri Election Director Sues Denny Hoskins for Retaliation

Former Missouri Director of Election Integrity Nicholas La Strada filed a whistleblower lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court on September 14, 2026, against Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and the state. La Strada, a Republican appointee, alleges he was terminated in retaliation for reporting illegal and unethical conduct within the Secretary of State's office.

The lawsuit claims that senior officials from the Secretary of State's and State Auditor's offices conspired to fabricate a fraudulent whistleblower complaint regarding the state's voter registration database. This plot allegedly involved the use of burner phones and IP scramblers to create false evidence for a federal hearing. La Strada further alleges that Hoskins' office illegally pressured officials in Marshall, Missouri, to overturn certified municipal election results from April 2026 and misused public funds for a political mailing opposing a St. Louis County ballot measure.

La Strada reports that his access to state buildings was suspended shortly before he testified at a federal hearing, and he was fired shortly thereafter. This legal action coincides with other challenges facing Hoskins, including a Missouri Supreme Court ruling finding him in temporary contempt for attempting to implement blocked congressional districts. Additionally, a class-action lawsuit filed by Missouri voters accuses Hoskins of violating constitutional rights by refusing to certify a petition for a statewide vote on the 2023 congressional map. A spokesperson for Hoskins has declined to comment, citing pending litigation.