Search Articles
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (CN) — Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced his resignation Monday, saying he intends join President Donald Trump’s administration.
Bailey, a 44-year-old Republican, will join Dan Bongino as co-deputy director of the FBI. His resignation takes effect on Sept. 8.
“It has been a humbling privilege to serve as the 44th Attorney General of the State of Missouri, and I am forever grateful to the people of Missouri for the opportunity to represent our state and your families,” Bailey said in a statement. “My life has been defined by a call to service, and I am once again answering that call, this time at the national level. But wherever I am called, Missouri is and always will be home.”
Bailey is the third straight Republican to parlay being Missouri’s top prosecutor into a federal office. His predecessors Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt were both elected to the U.S. Senate.
Former Missouri Governor Mike Parson appointed Bailey as attorney general following Schmitt’s departure in 2022, and Bailey easily won the general election last November.
Governor Mike Kehoe, who was also elected in November, will announce a successor tomorrow at 10 a.m.
“Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s appointment as the Co-Deputy Director of the FBI is another testament to President Trump’s commitment to enforcing law and order as Andrew has been a fighter for our state and nation throughout his entire career,” Kehoe said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Bailey, an Army veteran, was a candidate for U.S. Attorney General before Trump tabbed Pamela Bondi for the position.
“I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as Co-Deputy Director of the FBI,” Bondi said in a statement. “He has served as a distinguished attorney general for Missouri and is a decorated war veteran, bringing expertise and dedication to service.While we know this is undoubtedly a great loss for Missouri, it is a tremendous gain for America.”
Bailey has closely aligned himself with the MAGA agenda.
As Missouri’s attorney general, Bailey used his office to join multiple lawsuits against former President Joe Biden’s administration, including lawsuits over immigration policy and college student loan debt. He also unsuccessfully sued the state of New York in an attempt to stop Trump’s sentencing on 34 criminal counts until after the November election.
Catherine Hanaway is reportedly under consideration to take over for Bailey. Hanaway, 61, is an attorney at Husch Blackwell. Previously, she served as U.S. attorney in Missouri’s Eastern District, speaker of the Missouri House and a staffer for the late U.S. Senator Kit Bond.
Follow @joeharris_stlSubscribe to our free newsletters
Our weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.