Family of slain police officer demands tragedy be kept out of contentious Republican primary, where Donald Trump endorsed BOTH candidates

The family of a Missouri police officer shot and killed by a repeat offender found themselves in the midst of a contentious Republican Party primary in the state.

The two Republican candidates for the state’s attorney general — current Attorney General Andrew Bailey and Trump’s lawyer Will Scharf — are campaigning on very similar platforms.

They both also received the strong support of former President Donald Trump, a unique feat.

While there is little difference between Scharf and Bailey on policy, the race has become so intense that it is now one of the most expensive elections in the country, with a price tag of nearly $20 million.

Bailey’s criminal past is spotlighted in a new ad and flyers funded by a political action committee supporting Scharf.

Bailey is charged in the death of police officer Mason Griffith, who was shot and killed in the line of duty in March 2023 at the age of 34.

Now the widow of the murdered police officer is demanding that her late husband not get involved in the controversial campaign, while she raises two young sons.

Jennifer Griffith says the ads have confused her family again and is demanding they stop.

“They’re cracking down on this pretty hard,” Griffith told DailyMail.com, adding that she had received three advertisements in the mail, numerous phone calls, surveys and text messages with videos exploiting her husband’s death.

“Every time I see a commercial on TV, I have to explain to my son why Kenneth Simpson’s face is on TV,” she added, referring to her husband’s alleged killer.

Alleged cop killer Kenneth Simpson had a long history of run-ins with police dating back to 2004. According to court documents, he spent the next 10 years in and out of prison.

The ad focuses primarily on Bailey because of his time as an assistant district attorney in Warren County in 2017, when he handled multiple cases involving Simpson.

Simpson was arrested, charged and released on bail multiple times in the fall of 2017 for allegedly punching his father in the face and for possessing brass knuckles, two offenses.

He ultimately spent 10 days in jail for unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia under Bailey’s prosecution. A judge sentenced him to another six months for unlawful possession of a weapon.

The pro-Scharf PAC has targeted Bailey with its attack ads and mailings, claiming that Simpson’s short sentences have allowed him to commit more crimes.

“As a prosecutor, Bailey handled a violent criminal who once shot at a police car with care,” the controversial ad read.

“Bailey knew this, yet he charged him with minor crimes after he struck again, and within months he was free,” the ad said.

At the time of the shooting, Simpson was out on bail for crimes prosecuted after Bailey left the district attorney’s office.

Kelly King, Bailey’s successor at the Warren County District Attorney’s Office, claimed she asked a judge to revoke Simpson’s bail, but her request was denied.

After being arrested for shooting Griffith, Simpson told police he was on the run because of several warrants. He told police he thought he was going to die and decided to commit “suicide by police.”

He is accused of killing Officer Mason Griffith and wounding Officer Adam Sullentrup.

According to police, Simpson had six outstanding felony warrants in Warren County and one misdemeanor warrant in Franklin County.

Bailey’s team accuses the pro-Scharf PAC of “exploiting” the tragedy during the campaign.

As a candidate, Scharf is not allowed to work with PACs like Defend Missouri on messaging or strategy.

“Will Scharf and his supporters at Defend Missouri PAC are exploiting this tragic death to spread lies,” James Lawson, a spokesman for the Bailey campaign, told DailyMail.com.

“Their misleading advertisements not only disrespect Mason’s memory, but also jeopardize the prosecution of his killer.”

Now the calls to pull the ad have grown so loud that even the state’s governor, Republican Michael Parson, and the state police have joined in.

“The wife, children and mother of Sergeant Mason Griffith have been forced to watch live footage of the most horrific day of their lives over and over again in a political television commercial,” Parson wrote on official state letterhead to Defend Missouri PAC.

“I am calling on the Defend Missouri PAC to remove the footage of this tragic event. NO family should be forced to once again fall victim to the sensationalism of the man accused of shooting their loved one.”

Jennifer Griffith, meanwhile, is calling for an apology and for the ad onslaught to stop. She said she has reached out to Scharf’s campaign and PAC but has not received a response.

After Simpson’s arrest in 2023, his neighbors told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch They weren’t surprised at all when they found out he was involved in the shooting. One of them said, ‘He’s always had problems. That cop shouldn’t have died.’

Angela Koepke, Jennifer Griffith’s mother, has led the effort to remove the ads by contacting the campaigns, writing op-eds and letters to the editor across the state. She said she even plans to contact Trump’s campaign, since he supported Scharf.

Scharf said the ads were not his work, but he stood by the sentiment expressed in them.

“My campaign has no control over these independent ads,” Scarf told DailyMail.com.

“Mason Griffith’s death was a terrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved Mason Griffith. When prosecutors fail to do their job and put violent repeat offenders in jail, tragic consequences follow.”

‘Missouri residents who care about law and order should be deeply concerned that Andrew Bailey has a history of handling violent criminals with kid gloves.

But Koepke argues that Scharf could distance himself from the ads in public statements.

“His willingness to use a fallen officer and grieving family as political pawns is a testament to his character,” Koepke wrote in a letter. “We urge voters to reject Scharf’s tactics and honor Mason’s legacy by supporting those who respect the rule of law and the sacrifices of law enforcement.”