[co-author: Stephanie Kozol]

With the election of Missouri Attorney General (AG) Eric Schmitt to the U.S. Senate earlier this month, Governor Mike Parson got another opportunity to pick the state’s AG. Gov. Parson appointed Andrew Bailey, general counsel to the governor since 2021, to be Missouri’s next attorney general until the term ends in 2024. Mr. Bailey joined the governor’s office in 2019 as deputy general counsel before becoming the general counsel in 2021. Before joining the governor’s office, Mr. Bailey served as a Missouri assistant AG, assistant prosecuting attorney for Warren County, and as general counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Mr. Bailey said he would review the cases brought by Schmitt to see whether he wants to continue pursuing them. AG Schmitt prioritized many different consumer protection issues during his term. In recent months, AG Schmitt led the investigation against Morningstar, Inc.’s use of environmental, social, and governance (ESIG) data in financial decision-making, alleging that the ESG ratings report constitute “deceptive, fraudulent, or unfair practices,” under the state’s consumer protection acts.

Mr. Bailey graduated from University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in English before joining the U.S. Army as an officer. He attended law school at the University of Missouri School of Law. Mr. Bailey and his wife fostered and adopted three children and recently had their fourth child.