Former Missouri AG Andrew Bailey makes appearance with Denny Hoskins after leaving FBI post

Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks on Tuesday at American Legion Post 202. Bailey served as the co-deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation before resigning last week (Nolan Henry/Missourian)

Andrew Bailey, the former Missouri attorney general who left his post at the FBI last week, told fellow Republicans Tuesday night that he vowed to continue holding wrongdoers, whether criminal or political, to the letter of the law.

“The cornerstone of prosperous communities is the criminal justice system and holding wrongdoers accountable,” Bailey said. “It doesn’t have to be mean, doesn’t have to be mean-spirited, but it means that if you do wrong, you pay your debt to society.”

Bailey was the keynote speaker for the Columbia and Boone County Pachyderm clubs at American Legion Post 202. It was among the first public appearances he has made since leaving Washington.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins also spoke at the event.

Bailey served as the Missouri attorney general from 2023 to 2025 and was appointed by President Donald Trump a year ago to serve as co-deputy director of the FBI. He resigned Thursday, saying he wanted to return to Missouri and spend more time with his family.

“I remember being on the phone with my wife and talking to her about these incredible accomplishments,” Bailey said. “She said, ‘Hey, that’s great. You need to get on home because your kids need you.’ And so I stepped down.”

At the meeting Tuesday night, Bailey reflected a Republican message, saying blue states are “lying, cheating and stealing elections.”

“We’ve got more we can do to make sure our elections are secure,” he said. “We can’t let blue states like California and New York cheat by allowing criminal aliens to vote, double-counting Democrat votes and thereby suppressing your constitutional right to vote.”

Bailey also paid respect to Charlie Kirk, labeling the political activist, who was shot and killed last year, as a civil rights leader of the current generation. He encouraged fellow Republicans to honor Kirk’s legacy by following Bailey’s efforts to produce indictments, arrests, prosecutions, and sufficient prison time for offenders.

“We can’t let them silence our constitutional right to express our beliefs, worship as we see fit, keep and bear arms, participate in elections and oversee our law enforcement to include immigration enforcement,” Bailey told the audience. “That’s how you fight socialism, using the enforcement mechanisms provided under innocent people.”

Bailey also shared a personal connection to Amendment 3, which prohibits abortion and gender transition procedures for minors. He said he and his wife suffered the loss of a daughter in 2018.

“We named her Grace because, by the grace of God, I got to hold her for one hour before the good Lord took her home,” Bailey said. “But that hour I got to spend with my daughter taught me that all life has value. Period. I will never surrender, never retreat.”

Although he has stepped down from his FBI position, Bailey said he will continue to fight for Republican objectives in the state.

“I didn’t ever ask to be a politician, but I am a public servant, and I knew I wanted to serve the people of the state of Missouri,” Bailey said. “I knew we could do more. We can always do more.”

Bailey also reinforced his role as a public servant, not a politician, saying he would not be stepping into a role in public office.

“I am not a politician,” he said. “I am not a candidate for public office.”

Like Bailey, Hoskins talked about local issues he believes Missouri Republicans should consider when voting in November.

“Here in Boone County, they have a queer-led children’s story hour for toddlers and preschoolers, with books celebrating and pushing kids to dress in drag,” Hoskins said. “And I said not on my watch, and I put their funding on notice.”

He was referring to a letter he wrote to the Daniel Boone Regional Library staff in July about “Rainbow Story Time,” an LGBTQ+ themed event planned in Columbia. The library held the event despite the backlash.

Hoskins has also been involved in the debate over the congressional maps to be used in the November elections. After a high-profile legal battle that included several lawsuits and court decisions, the 2022 map will be used instead of the gerrymandered 2025 map that he preferred.

Hoskins did not back down Tuesday in the face of his apparent defeat.

“Any Tom, Dick or Harry can file a lawsuit against anyone,” Hoskins said. “And by golly, the liberal left, funded by their out-of-state East Coast sugar daddies, sure has sued me a lot, as many times as possible for following the law and doing my job.”

Hoskins ended his speech with a promise to uphold his responsibilities as secretary of state.

“I will protect Missouri elections,” Hoskins said. “I will protect life. I will protect our Second Amendment. I will protect our men and women serving in the military. I will stand up and fight for everyone in this room, and I will never forget where I came from and the hardworking men and women in this room that elected me secretary of state.”

This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.