Missouri’s attorney general’s office is once again undergoing a seismic shift. On August 19, 2025, Andrew Bailey, who has held the state’s top legal post since 2022, announced his resignation to accept a federal leadership role as co-deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His last day in office will be September 8, 2025, marking the third time in just six years that Missouri will need a new attorney general—a testament to the rapid political turnover in the state’s highest legal office.
Bailey’s departure, though not entirely unexpected, sends ripples through Missouri politics. As reported by the Missouri Independent and confirmed by several local outlets, Bailey’s move to the FBI comes at a pivotal time. In a statement released Monday evening, Bailey said, “My life has been defined by a call to service, and I am once again answering that call, this time at the national level.” He added, “But wherever I am called, Missouri is and always will be home.”
Bailey’s journey to the attorney general’s office was unconventional. Prior to his appointment, he had never run for public office, serving instead as an assistant prosecuting attorney, assistant attorney general, and general counsel to then-Governor Mike Parson. He was tapped for the attorney general position in 2022 after Eric Schmitt vacated the role to join the U.S. Senate, continuing a recent tradition of Missouri attorneys general leaving before their terms conclude for higher office.
Bailey’s tenure was anything but quiet. According to the Missouri Independent, his time as attorney general was defined by high-profile confrontations with the federal government, including lawsuits challenging federal student loan forgiveness and alleged government collusion with social media companies over conservative speech censorship. He also led investigations into health care providers and mounted legal efforts to end gender-affirming care for minors in Missouri, with his office involved in multiple lawsuits over the medical records of transgender children.
Bailey’s office was instrumental in forcing St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner out and is currently pursuing felony charges against St. Louis County Executive Sam Page. His approach often drew both praise and criticism. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a statement, lauded Bailey’s “leadership and commitment to country,” calling his move to the FBI “a tremendous gain for America.” Bailey himself expressed gratitude to both President Donald Trump and Bondi, stating, “I extend my deepest gratitude to President Trump and U.S. Attorney General Bondi for the privilege to join in their stated mission to Make America Safe Again.”
But Bailey’s legacy is complicated. He was an ardent supporter of President Trump, publicly endorsing the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and even attempting to intervene in Trump’s criminal case in New York, which resulted in 34 felony convictions. Critics accused Bailey of grandstanding and prioritizing media appearances over substantive legal victories. He faced accusations of corruption and incompetence, including missing deadlines on high-stakes lawsuits and mishandling campaign contributions.
One particularly controversial episode involved Bailey recusing himself from a gambling lawsuit after political action committees linked to the companies involved donated to his campaign. He also accepted $50,000 from Doe Run, a company embroiled in a lawsuit over alleged lead poisoning in Peru, shortly after filing a brief seeking to move the case out of Missouri. These actions, as reported by Missouri Independent, fueled allegations that Bailey’s priorities were sometimes blurred by political considerations.
Another flashpoint came when Bailey’s office missed a critical deadline to appeal a ruling favoring Missouri school districts that had implemented mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last summer, Bailey narrowly avoided being questioned under oath about his contact with a defendant in another case, which led to one of his deputies losing their law license. He also drew formal complaints after falsely blaming the Hazelwood School District’s diversity, equity, and inclusion program for an off-campus assault.
Bailey’s resignation leaves a leadership vacuum, but Missouri’s top officials moved swiftly to fill it. On August 20, 2025, Governor Mike Kehoe announced that Catherine Hanaway, former Missouri House Speaker and a seasoned prosecutor, would be the new attorney general. Hanaway, who will take office on September 8, will be the first woman in Missouri’s history to hold the position.
Kehoe, in a news conference, called the attorney general’s office “incredibly significant” and said Hanaway was “ready to work on day one.” Hanaway’s resume is formidable: she served as Missouri House Speaker from 1999 to 2005, was the first woman to hold that role, and later became the U.S. Attorney for Missouri’s Eastern District from 2005 to 2009. She also ran for governor in 2016, losing in the primary to Eric Greitens, and most recently worked in private practice.
Hanaway spoke with humility and resolve at her appointment. “It is a humbling honor to be selected for this role, and a duty I do not take lightly,” she said. “Attorney General Bailey has done an incredible job fighting for Missourians, and I am eager to get to work on behalf of Missourians to uphold the rule of law, protect the Constitution, and ensure a strong future for our state.”
Hanaway’s immediate focus, she said, will be on criminal prosecutions. “Working with local prosecutors, sheriffs, police and the Highway Patrol, fighting crime is and will remain job one for this office,” she told reporters. She also pledged to provide stability to the office, noting, “For sure, the rest of this term, which is roughly three and a half years.” Hanaway made clear her intention to seek a full term if Missourians support her performance.
Her appointment was met with cautious optimism across the political aisle. Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune described Hanaway as a “vast improvement” over Bailey, though she questioned whether Hanaway’s tenure would reflect her time as a federal prosecutor or her more recent work as legal counsel for controversial clients. Hanaway has already signaled her intent to recuse herself from any ongoing investigations where she has a conflict of interest, such as the probe into the Grain Belt Express energy project, where she previously served as legal counsel.
Hanaway’s arrival comes as Missouri’s attorney general’s office faces mounting legal and political challenges, from ongoing lawsuits over gender-affirming care to investigations into corporate practices and criminal prosecutions. She has also indicated she will continue to monitor issues like the use of glyphosate in pesticides, though she noted there are currently no active cases involving the chemical in Missouri.
As Missouri turns the page on another chapter in its political history, the state’s top legal office stands at a crossroads. With Bailey heading to Washington and Hanaway pledging a new era of stability and law enforcement focus, Missourians are watching closely to see if this latest transition will bring the steady leadership the office has sorely lacked in recent years.
