An aide to a former United States senator revealed she was on the phone with Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich discussing rumors about his religion moments before he killed himself . Schweich , 54 , fatally shot himself on February 26 in an apparent suicide at his home in Clayton . Former US Sen. John Danforth 's assistant Martha Fitz said Schweich threatened to kill himself during their conversation about the angst he was feeling over false rumors he was Jewish . Scroll down for video . Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich , 54 , fatally shot himself in an apparent suicide at his home in Clayton last week . Schweich at his swearing-in ceremony with wife , Kathy ( left ) , son Thomas ( above ) , and daughter Emile ( right ) Emergency services were called to Schweich 's home on the morning of February 26 after he shot himself . After making the threat , he handed the phone to his wife Kathy , Fitz said in a written statement . She wrote : 'Seconds later , I heard Kathy say , 'He shot himself ! ' '' Fitz added : 'He spoke solely about his outrage concerning the rumors that were being spread about his religion and how he should respond to those rumors . ' I told him I thought it was best to let others stand up for him . ' Schweich was Christian and attended church , but had some Jewish ancestry . The auditor 's chief of staff , Trish Vincent , also talked with Schweich before his death . She said he told her he had n't slept because he had been physically ill for most of the night before his suicide . In a written statement , she said Schweich 'was distraught , as he had been the last few days , regarding untruths about his religion ' . On Tuesday during Schweich 's funeral , Danforth eulogized his friend . Danforth , a political mentor and longtime ally to Schweich , is an ordained Episcopal minister . He suggested political bullying and an anti-Semitic whisper campaign led his friend to kill himself . Danforth expressed 'overwhelming anger that politics has gone so hideously wrong ' as he spoke at the Church of St. Michael and St. George , the Episcopal church Schweich had attended in Clayton . He said : 'Words do hurt . Words can kill . 'That has been proven right here in this state . ' He then urged the audience to disown 'winning at any cost ' campaigns run by 'bullies ' and to pledge 'that we will not put up with any whisper of anti-Semitism ' , the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported . Danforth delivered the eulogy at Schweich 's funeral and said political bullying was to blame for his suicide . Family members of Schweich embrace outside the Church of St. Michael and St. George at his funeral . Former US Sen. John Danforth 's ( left ) assistant Martha Fitz ( right ) was talking to Schweich before his suicide . Schweich , a Republican , launched an anti-corruption campaign for governor last month and was thought to have a good chance of winning . Last month , Schweich told an Associated Press reporter the believed the new chairman of the Missouri Republican Party - John Hancock - told people he was Jewish last year . Schweich said he considered the comments anti-Semitic and was extremely upset by them . Hancock has denied making anti-Semitic remarks . He has acknowledged he may have told some people Schweich was Jewish because he mistakenly believed that was true . Danforth responded to Hancock 's denial without mentioning him by name . He said : 'Tom called this anti-Semitism , and of course it was . 'The only reason for going around saying that someone is Jewish is to make political profit from religious bigotry . ' Schweich was first elected in 2010 and easily won election to a second term in November . He previously served as Danforth 's chief of staff for a 1999 federal investigation into the deadly government siege at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco , Texas , and followed Danforth to the United Nations , where he was chief of staff for the US . delegation . President George W. Bush appointed Schweich to the State Department in 2005 as an international law enforcement official and picked Schweich two years later to coordinate the anti-drug and justice reform efforts in Afghanistan . In addition to his wife , Schweich also leaves behind two children , Thomas and Emile . • For confidential help , call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here . • For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK , call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 , visit a local Samaritans branch or click here .
Tom Schweich , 54 , shot himself several times at his home on February 26 . He was found by a neighbor who called 911 and then went to the hospital where he died of an apparent suicide attempt.