Cape County GOP women host new Missouri AG Andrew Bailey

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey spoke Friday, June 2, to a small gathering of Cape County Republican Women, telling the group he sees part of his role as blocking what he termed “federal overreach” by the White House.

“Missouri vs. Biden is the most important First Amendment lawsuit in a generation. We saw shortly after (Biden) took office, he was coercing and colluding with woke Big Tech corporations to silence conservative voices on social media platforms,” said Bailey, who on Jan. 3 succeeded now-U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt as the state’s top prosecutor. “We’ve uncovered a relationship where the White House, across a spectrum of federal bureaucratic agencies, was silencing Americans and specifically conservative voices on Big Tech social media.”

Bailey, 42, touted his office’s actions in the recent ouster of former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner for what the attorney general called a pattern of unpunished crimes and other deficiencies.

“(Gardner) was a George Soros-backed prosecutor,” alleged Bailey, adding that “outside money” bought Gardner’s office for her “with the stated intention of dismantling the criminal justice system.”

Bailey added that Gardner’s six-year tenure was damaging to St. Louis’ economic well-being.

Missouri's Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks Friday, June 2, to attendees of the monthly meeting of Cape County Republican Women. Bailey, who took office Jan. 3, made remarks at Delmonico's in Jackson.Jeff Long

Missouri's Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks Friday, June 2, to attendees of the monthly meeting of Cape County Republican Women. Bailey, who took office Jan. 3, made remarks at Delmonico's in Jackson.Jeff Long

“A total of 500 businesses had left downtown St. Louis in the last two years. Her tenure was a time of lost economic opportunity and lost jobs because she refused to do her job,” Bailey told the crowd.

Of note

Bailey, a married father of four, was appointed attorney general by Gov. Mike Parson to succeed Schmitt.

Awarded two Bronze stars for his U.S. Army service, Bailey served two deployments in Iraq and came home from the military to attend law school on the GI Bill.

Bailey said he will seek a full four-year term in 2024.

Former federal violent crime prosecutor Will Scharf has announced he will challenge Bailey in the Republican primary next year.

Scharf is expected to speak Thursday, June 15, to the SEMO Pachyderms Club.