Misdemeanor charges against a Columbia councilman

A Columbia city councilman is facing a criminal charge. Ian Thomas said yesterday (thur) he’s accused of a misdemeanor prohibited act by an elected official. We learned in February that Thomas had suggested a developer makea donation to Columbia Community Land Trust, in exchange for Thomas’s support of the Oakland Crossings development. Thomas reported himself to the Missouri Ethics Commission, and apologized. But he says he will plead not guilty, because he does not believe what he did rises to the level of a criminal offense.