The Missouri Democratic Party congratulates Democratic candidate Elad Gross for clearly demonstrating why he is the best candidate to serve as Missouri's Attorney General during a Springfield candidate forum. Over nearly two hours, Gross presented himself as a competent professional with a strong understanding of the issues impacting Missouri families, demonstrating sharp contrasts between himself and an appointed attorney general using the office for his own political gain and a Club for Growth sock-puppet.

Since being appointed by Governor Parson in 2023, Andrew Bailey has used the Attorney General's office to score political points with the most extreme faction of the Republican Party in a desperate bid to keep his seat. Recently, Bailey announced his office would represent three state senators being sued for defamation after they published social media posts on their personal or campaign accounts falsely claiming that an Olathe native, was an undocumented immigrant and a shooter in the fatal February shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory rally.

“Missourians are exhausted by the constant chaos intentionally created by these politicians who are only in this for themselves and want their elected officials to show up for work focused on making our lives better. Unfortunately, the appointed attorney general only seems interested in finding ways to spend more Missouri tax dollars on frivolous lawsuits or interfere in our personal lives as a political stunt. Missourians have a great choice in Elad to serve as our Attorney General, as he demonstrated on stage this evening,” said Missouri Democratic Party Chair Russ Carnahan. 

Background:

Kansas City Star: Parson Pushes Back On Missouri’s Defense Of Senators Sued For False Posts On KC Shooting

“Politicians have to be responsible and have to be held to a higher standard when you start attacking citizens in our state,” Governor Parson said. “You don’t get a free pass just because you’re a politician.”

Missouri Independent: Freedom Caucuses Push For Conservative State Laws, But Getting Attention Is Their Big Success

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial: Missouri AG's Action On Behalf Of A Contributor Deserves Official Scrutiny

Missouri Independent: Will Scharf Gets $2.9 Million Boost To His Campaign For Missouri Attorney General

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial:

“A PAC supporting Bailey accepted a $50,000 campaign contribution from a New York-based LLC in September 2023. Just two months earlier, Bailey had filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the LLC’s Missouri-based subsidiary in an environmental lawsuit stemming from the lead poisoning of children in Peru.”

“Late last year, the co-owner of a marijuana company that was in the midst of a legal battle with state regulators — with Bailey’s office representing the state in that legal fight — hosted a political fundraiser in his Ladue home in support of Bailey.”