Who Is Andrew Bailey?

My VIP for this week is Andrew Bailey, Republican, former attorney general for Missouri and current co-deputy director of the FBI. According to an article written by Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell and published at The Daily Signal, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the following about Bailey: 

He has served as a distinguished attorney general for Missouri and is a decorated war veteran, bringing expertise and dedication to service…. His leadership and commitment to country will be a tremendous asset as we work together to advance President Trump’s mission. While we know this is undoubtedly a great loss for Missouri, it is a tremendous gain for America.

Bailey said the following about his appointment: “My life has been defined by a call to service, and I am once again answering that call this time, at the national level.”

Mitchell shared the following five things that Americans should know about Bailey’s time as attorney general for Missouri:

Protecting Kids From Gender Ideology

Bailey won a lawsuit in April to compel Planned Parenthood to produce documents related to the “gender transition” of minors in Missouri….

Bailey started investigating the use of “transgender” hormones, puberty blockers, and surgeries for minors in the state in March 2023 after a former caseworker at the Washington University Transgender Center said the center rushed children into treatment….

Protecting the Unborn

In January 2023, abortion activists filed suit seeking to dismantle Missouri’s pro-life law, which protects life starting at conception.

Bailey responded by filing a motion to dismiss the legal challenge.

In June 2023, the St. Louis Circuit Court dismissed 10 of the 11 challenges brought by the activists. The following October, the court dismissed the 11^th count and granted Bailey’s motion to dismiss….

This July, Bailey filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood for allegedly deceiving women about the safety and efficacy of the abortion pill. The petition seeks more than $1.8 million in civil penalties for daily violations of Missouri law and up to $1,000 in damages or restitution for every Missouri woman Planned Parenthood provided abortion pills to in the past five years.

Securing the Border

In November 2024, Bailey and 16 other state attorneys general obtained a court order throwing out the Biden-Harris administration’s “parole in place” rule that allowed millions of illegal immigrants to obtain permanent residency in the U.S….

The “parole in place” program would have allowed aliens who had been unlawfully present in the United States for 10 or more years to receive a grant of “parole.” Aliens married to a citizen or the stepchild of a citizen would not have been required to leave the country.

Bailey also filed a lawsuit in July 2024 against the Biden administration for reportedly flying illegal aliens to the Show Me State to try to settle them there.

Holding China Accountable

This March, Bailey won a $24 billion judgment in federal court against the Chinese Communist Party for “unleashing the COVID-19 pandemic.” …

The federal court ruled that Missouri “has established this claim of damages through evidence satisfactory to the court,” proving that China caused and exacerbated the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bailey announced Missouri would collect the $24 billion judgment and, if necessary, work with the Trump administration to identify and seize Chinese-owned assets in the state.

Deregulating Energy

In 2023, Bailey successfully blocked the Biden administration’s attempt to impose regulations that he said would increase the price of energy for Missourians.

The order prevented the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing the regulations during the appeals process….