Cottleville is at a crossroads. And while our town deserves transparent, dedicated leadership, one candidate for mayor seems to be offering nothing but smoke, mirrors, and suspicious alliances: Stephen Manoj Thompson , or as some are calling him, Shady Stephen.

Let’s unpack the red flags.

Stephen Thompson has openly stated he doesn’t intend to serve a full four-year term as mayor, a $1,000/month job that deserves full-time dedication. Why would someone run for mayor if they don’t plan to stick around? The answer may lie in his cozy connections with St. Peters Mayor Len Pagano and Alderman Judy Bateman, a city with a long-standing interest in annexing parts of Cottleville’s most valuable business corridor on Mid Rivers Mall Dr. bordering St. Peters.

This isn’t just a case of a bad candidate , this is a Trojan horse scenario. Get Stephen elected, and watch Cottleville’s budget bleed as St. Peters moves in to take what they’ve been eyeing for years. With Thompson acting as a willing pawn, their plan could roll out quietly , and quickly.

But that’s just the beginning of the mystery surrounding Shady Stephen.

He proudly touts a “PhD,” but from where? No institution has been named. No dissertation shared. No background confirmed. One would think any credible degree-holder , especially someone claiming academic excellence , would be eager to highlight their alma mater. The silence is deafening. Is it an online degree? Was it from overseas? The lack of transparency raises serious concerns.

And his past? Vague, murky, and conflicting. There’s still no proof of when or if he became a U.S. citizen , an essential detail for someone who wants to lead an American city. His “IT consulting business” is equally questionable. He works from home, yet offers no evidence of clients, contracts, or achievements. Just vague buzzwords and LinkedIn jargon.

Even his so-called corporate stints at Enterprise and Mastercard don’t check out. Thompson exaggerates his importance, stretching job titles and roles beyond belief. Let’s not forget , he once served as an Alderman… and failed to get re-elected. That speaks volumes. When voters got a taste of his leadership, they said: “No thanks.”

Now, he’s hoping Cottleville forgets. That we forget his failed record. His embellishments. His shady associations. His smoke-and-mirrors resume. His refusal to be transparent about his own qualifications and history. Rumors swirl around his past, even in his personal life , but we’ll save those for another day.

Bottom line: Stephen Thompson is not what he claims to be. And he is certainly not what Cottleville needs.

We need a mayor who shows up, tells the truth, and puts our community first ,not one who’s eyeing the exit door before he’s even elected.

Cottleville deserves better. Don’t be fooled.