Missouri lawmaker resigns from House after fraud conviction

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri legislator has resigned her seat after being convicted of falsely claiming she was giving patients stem cell treatments for COVID-19. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Republican state Rep. Tricia Derges sent her resignation letter to House Speaker Rob Vescovo on Friday. She was convicted in June on 22 counts including wire fraud, illegal distribution of controlled substances and making false statements to investigators. Federal prosecutors have argued she claimed nearly $900,000 in federal funding for COVID-19 treatments that weren’t performed or had already been performed. They also allege she promoted amniotic fluid as a COVID-19 treatment and other diseases by falsely claiming it contained stem cells.