Maybe that national Boy Rangers camp wasn't such a good idea…

A rising star in Missouri politics featured in a 2004 documentary might come crashing down to Earth following reports that he is under investigation by the FBI.

State Senator Jeff Smith, a Democrat from St. Louis city, is reported to be contemplating resigning his seat amid reports in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the FBI is investigating potential campaign improprieties in Smith's 2004 bid for Congress. At the moment, Smith has not confirmed or denied the Post-Dispatch's reports, and likewise the FBI would not confirm or deny whether Smith is under investigation.

According to the Post-Dispatch, this reported investigation stems from a complaint initially filed by the campaign of Russ Carnahan, who eventually beat Smith and eight others in the Democratic primary and went on to become the Congressman for Missouri's 3rd district. The complaint alleged that fliers targeting Carnahan's campaign were by Smith's campaign, misleading, and funded in a way that contravened federal election laws. An earlier investigation, however, identified the distributor of the fliers as Milton "Skip" Ohlsen, who has served jail time for possessing cocaine, and is in jail now on unrelated charges of firearms possession and mortgage fraud. Where Ohlsen received $13,000 to enable the fliers' distribution, however, was not determined.

This happens to be the campaign where Smith's campaign was filmed for the documentary "Can Mr. Smith Get To Washington Anymore?" Smith came in second, within two percent of the son of deceased governor Mel Carnahan.

So now the question circulating around Jefferson City and Senator Smith is whether those funds did in fact come from his campaign. And recent actions—Smith turning in teaching credentials at Washington University, staffers for Governor Nixon and Senate Majority Leader Charlie Shields looking up state statutes concerning the resolving of vacancies in the State Senate, Smith not posting on his Twitter account in 11 days—don't look too well for preserving his innocence.

Sounds like he might need to pull the same stunt his Hollywood character namesake (portrayed by James Stewart in 1939) if any such charges have no merit. Else, be ready for two elections in the 4th State Senate District in 2010, as Smith's first term is to expire next year.