Lograsso Placed on Unpaid Leave, Richard Plays Dumb

Don Lograsso, the Missouri House's general counsel and top advisor to disgraced former Speaker Rod Jetton, has been placed on unpaid leave.

According to the Associated Press, Lograsso is on unpaid leave because his eyesight is deteriorating and he might need surgery, and this development has absolutely nothing to do with FBI questions or potential grand jury testimony in the news this week.

UPDATE: The Star reports that current Speaker Ron Richard said he had no idea why Lograsso is taking "an unexpected and indefinite leave of absence." 

House Speaker Ron Richard, a Joplin Republican, said he talked to Lograsso but still doesn’t know exactly why he needs time away.

“It beats me,” Richard said. “You can have that conversation with him, I don’t know.” 

Richard’s staff, however, told The Star that Lograsso was taking leave for medical reasons.

“He has some eye issues,” said Jeff Brooks, Richard’s chief of staff. “He is going to take a leave of absence to take care of medical issues.”

But Richard said nothing about a medical reason for the leave.

How does Richard not know why Lograsso is taking an unpaid leave of absence, even after they talked about his departure?  What did they talk about, bowling?

Image credit: Ron Richard 2010