Ex-Stenger staffer Miller disbarred following plea

The Missouri Supreme Court has disbarred the chief of staff of former St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger.

On July 9, the court ordered the disbarment of William L. Miller Jr., who previously filed a motion in the court to voluntarily surrender his law license.

In the petition, Miller admitted to pleading guilty to one count of aiding and abetting honest services wire fraud/bribery in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, Stenger hired Miller as his chief of staff in December 2017. Stenger later appointed Miller to the Board of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership in 2018.

Stenger pleaded guilty on May 3 to three counts of honest services mail fraud/bribery in a pay-to-play scheme in which he used his position to enrich himself through soliciting and accepting campaign contributions from individuals and their companies in exchange for favorable action, according to the release.

On May 31, Miller pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting Stenger’s scheme by taking official action to ensure that a company identified in court records as “Company One” and its owner obtained a 2019 state lobbying contract worth about $200,000 in exchange for campaign donations and fundraising activities.

Miller’s sentencing hearing is set for Sept. 6.

The case is In re: William L. Miller Jr., SC97934.