Did former Missouri Ag Chief Make Threats? UPDATE

Dr. Chuck Massengill, president of the Missouri Cattlemen's Association — Dr. Chuck Massengill, president of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association

Friday 11 a.m. (AP) Missouri’s Republican House leader wants a legislative hearing on allegations of a hostile workplace in parts of Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration.

House Speaker Tim Jones said Friday that he has asked the chairman of the House Government Oversight and Accountability Committee to convene a hearing on the issue. That comes after former employees in the departments of agriculture and labor recently went public with assertions of intimidation and discrimination by former department directors.

Republican House member Jay Barnes, of Jefferson City, is chairman of the oversight committee. He says the hearing will focus on whether Nixon’s office is diligently vetting applicants before making appointments to key positions.

Thursday (AP) – Officials at the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association say the state’s former agriculture director made threats toward them after he was displeased with a magazine article.

Jon Hagler was replaced earlier this month as head of the Agriculture Department with little explanation from Gov. Jay Nixon. The move came one day after another high-ranking employee, Beth Ewers, resigned while distributing a letter saying Hagler created a work environment of “hostility, disrespect, intimidation and fear.”

Now the cattlemen’s group says Hagler also acted with hostility toward its CEO, Mike Deering.

Cattlemen’s president Chuck Massengill and other group leaders say that Hagler threatened to beat up Deering earlier this year after Deering wrote an article critical of Hagler.

Hagler did not return messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.