JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 A potential challenger to Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey has cashed campaign checks from at least three high-profile GOP figures, a signal the incumbent could face a bitter party primary in 2024.
The potential challenger, Will Scharf, received a $2,650 check from , the co-chairman of the conservative law organization The Federalist Society, in December. Leo worked to confirm Justices John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, according to his online biography.
Scharf also banked a $2,000 check from West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and $250 from Peter Bisbee, the executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association, in December, according to a review of state ethics commission records.
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鈥淚鈥檓 proud to be supported by conservatives here in Missouri and around the country 鈥 really excited about the campaign ahead,鈥 Scharf said Friday.
Asked which campaign he was launching, he said, 鈥渨e鈥檒l have an announcement on that before the end of the month.鈥
The contributions followed Gov. Mike Parson鈥檚 much-anticipated announcement in November that Bailey, a political newcomer and Parson鈥檚 then-general counsel, would become the next attorney general after then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt鈥檚 election to the U.S. Senate.
It was unclear Friday whether the Republican Attorneys General Association would back Bailey in 2024. A spokesman didn鈥檛 respond to requests for comment.
鈥淲e hope that the organization set up to support Republican attorneys general will support Andrew Bailey in his election,鈥 said Michael Hafner, adviser to Bailey鈥檚 campaign.
Though Scharf hasn鈥檛 yet announced which office he will run for, all signs point to the former federal prosecutor 鈥 who also worked on Kavanaugh鈥檚 and Amy Coney Barrett鈥檚 Supreme Court confirmations 鈥 entering the attorney general鈥檚 race.
With Parson pledging his full support to Bailey in 2024, Scharf鈥檚 entry 鈥 along with any other high-profile Republicans who decide to run 鈥 could trigger an intense battle among party factions.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 run in a race in which I didn鈥檛 think I was competitive,鈥 Scharf said. 鈥淧ete Bisbee, executive director of RAGA, he鈥檚 an outstanding conservative leader. He鈥檚 done incredible things with that committee, and I鈥檓 proud to have his support.鈥
Bisbee has been tied to a robocall urging 鈥減atriots鈥 to march toward the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, through his work as executive director for the Rule of Law Defense Fund, a fundraising arm of RAGA that sent the robocall.
Scharf said he didn鈥檛 know about those reports, and that it wasn鈥檛 a concern.
Scharf called Morrisey 鈥渁 friend鈥 and an 鈥渙utstanding attorney general for the state of West Virginia.鈥
He said Morrisey鈥檚 President Barack Obama鈥檚 Clean Power Plan and Waters of the United States was a 鈥渕odel of what a good conservative attorney general looks like.鈥
Scharf said of Leo, co-chairman of the The Federalist Society, 鈥淚 consider him a dear friend and mentor and I鈥檓 honored to have his support.鈥
Scharf has given $505,000 to his campaign account since the end of November, after Parson announced Bailey as his pick.
Scharf also raised an additional $294,000 from a network of nearly 250 donors, according to ethics commission records.
Scharf, the former policy director for ex-Gov. Eric Greitens, tapped former members of Greitens鈥 team to help fund his potential campaign against Parson鈥檚 pick.
Parker Briden, former spokesman for Greitens, gave $100 to Scharf; and Jordan Duecker, another former Greitens official, contributed $250.
Austin Chambers, Greitens鈥 former campaign manager, gave the maximum allowed donation of $2,650.
Nicholas Maddux, former adviser to Greitens and current consultant for Axiom Strategies, also contributed the maximum amount to Scharf.
Bailey this week formed his own campaign account, which has yet to report contributions.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022, announces Andrew Bailey as the next attorney general for the state.
