St. Louis County Prosecutor, Wesley Bell gives remarks during the Ferguson mayoral inauguration ceremony for Ella James at the Urban League Empowerment Center on June 17, 2020, in Ferguson, Missouri. | Source: Michael B. Thomas / Getty
Q uestions about the political allegiances of St. Louis County’s first Black district attorney have been renewed after the recent revelation that the Democrat previously worked for a Republican candidate.
Wesley Bell , who is primarying Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush , was already resented among activists for not prosecuting police officers involved in the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Now, HuffPost has outed him as having “managed the campaign of a conservative Republican running for the same seat Bell is seeking today,” seemingly compounding political matters for him.
The candidate, Mark J. Byrne, ran as a fierce abortion opponent and gun rights crusader. “I intend to protect the rights of the unborn,” his campaign website read. “I believe that there is no greater job for elected representatives.”
He ultimately lost to incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay Jr., who remained in office until Bush successfully challenged him in 2020.