Brian Nieves
Brian D. Nieves is a former Republican member of the Missouri Senate, and a former majority whip in the Missouri House of Representatives.
Personal life
Nieves is a graduate of Pacific High School in Franklin County. In 1984, Nieves enlisted in the United States Navy, serving ten years as a Hospital Corpsman, as a field medic alongside the Marines.Following his military service, Nieves returned to Franklin County. Nieves hosted a morning talk radio show called "The Patriot Enclave" on KWMO 1350 AM and functioned as KWMO's marketing director. He and his wife also operate Nieves Enterprises and Hwy 66 Auto Sales. Additionally, Nieves serves as a high school substitute teacher.
Controversy
In August 2010, Nieves was accused of assaulting and threatening to kill an opponent's campaign worker, Shawn Bell, following a contentious primary election which Nieves won, during a visit by Bell to Nieves' campaign headquarters while he and his campaign manager were winding down the campaign. Nieves denied any assault had occurred and his campaign manager, who was present during the entire visit by Bell, concurred with this denial. On September 10, 2010, Franklin County Prosecutor Bob Parks announced he would not be seeking criminal charges against Nieves, commenting that he could not prove that a criminal act had occurred. Shawn Bell announced in a statement that he still planned to file a civil lawsuit against Nieves.In April 2013, media outlets covered an exchange of emails between Nieves and an angry constituent. Nieves insulted the constituent's appearance and suggested that if he typed slower the constituent may find it easier to understand.