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Chris Koster
41st Attorney General of Missouri
In office January 12, 2009 – January 9, 2017
Governor	Jay Nixon
Preceded by	Jay Nixon
Succeeded by	Josh Hawley
Member of the Missouri Senate from the 31st district
In office January 2005 – January 2009
Preceded by	Harold Caskey
Succeeded by	David Pearce
Personal details
Born	(1964-08-31) August 31, 1964 (age 60) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (2007–present)
Other political affiliations	Republican (Before 2007)
Spouse	Rebecca Bowman Nassikas (1996–2003)
Education	University of Missouri, Columbia (BA, JD) Washington University (MBA)
Website	Government website (Archived) Official Twitter Official Facebook

Chris Koster (born August 31, 1964) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 41st Attorney General of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. Before he was elected attorney general, he had served in the Missouri Senate since 2005 representing the 31st Senatorial District as a Republican until August 1, 2007, when he switched to the Democratic Party.

He was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Missouri in the 2016 election and was defeated by Republican nominee Eric Greitens in the general election.

Early life and career

Koster was born and raised in St. Louis, where he attended Saint Louis University High School. He went on to study at the University of Missouri in Columbia where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987. Four years later, he received his juris doctor degree from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1991. Additionally, he earned his master of business administration from Washington University in St. Louis in 2002. Before becoming a county prosecuting attorney, Koster practiced law with the Kansas City law firm of Blackwell Sanders from 1993 to 1994. He also served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Missouri Attorney General from 1991-93.

Before his election to the Missouri Senate in 2004, Koster served as Prosecuting Attorney of Cass County for 10 years. He was first elected prosecutor in 1994 and was reelected in 1998 and 2002 by wide margins. As prosecutor, he supervised a staff of 20 who enforced Missouri’s criminal laws in Cass County. Additionally, his office served as the civil counsel for all non-criminal matters before the county government. During his tenure, Koster supervised litigation in about 20,000 cases. He led investigations into many of Missouri’s most notorious criminal cases, including the investigation against serial killer John E. Robinson. He has developed extensive trial experience and has argued and won cases before the Missouri Supreme Court.

Political career

Missouri Senate

Koster was first elected to the Missouri Senate in 2004 as a Republican. He represented Missouri's 31st Senatorial District, which consists of Cass, Johnson, Bates and Vernon counties. During his time in the Missouri General Assembly, Koster played key roles in the debates over stem cell research, tort reform, and the elimination of Medicaid fraud. In 2006, he carried legislation in the Senate that overhauled Missouri’s eminent domain laws. He served on these Senate committees:

• Economic Development, Tourism, and Local Government
• Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence
• Pensions, Veterans' Affairs and General Laws
• Commerce, Energy and the Environment
• Agriculture, Conservation, Parks and Natural Resources

Koster championed legislation for Truth in the Missouri Court System, and proposed a bill (SB55) that aimed to eliminate paternity fraud. On August 1, 2007, Koster made Missouri political history when he announced that he was leaving the Missouri Republican Party to become a Democrat. Citing his longstanding differences with the Republican Party on issues like stem cell research, workers' rights, and the non-partisan court plan, Koster said that the Missouri Republican Party had become too beholden to the extreme right-wing to lead the state of Missouri. He said, "Today, Republican moderates are all but extinct."

Before his change of parties, Koster was chairman of the Republican Caucus, the majority party's fourth-ranking position in the Missouri State Senate.

Attorney General

On August 5, 2008, Koster narrowly defeated State Representative Margaret Donnelly in the Democratic primary for the nomination for Missouri Attorney General. Koster won despite accusations that his campaign violated state law in raising money from multiple committees. He also survived the disclosure that he played a supporting role in a plagiarism episode that damaged Attorney General William L. Webster’s campaign for governor in 1992. Fresh out of law school, Koster worked for Webster, a Republican, as an assistant state attorney general. His campaign was not easily won because he had to overcome the label of "opportunist" as a result of switching parties during the '08 election. He then went on to defeat Republican State Senator Mike Gibbons in the general election, 52.83% to 47.17%. He was sworn in as attorney general on January 12, 2009, succeeding Governor Jay Nixon.

Koster is an advocate of the death penalty, and as of July 2013, there were 21 inmates on death row in Missouri whose executions he was pressing the Supreme Court of Missouri to expedite. After the 21 inmates filed suit before the state Supreme Court against the Missouri Department of Corrections over the use of the drug propofol used in lethal injections, concerning cruel and unusual punishment, the state Supreme Court temporarily halted the further use of the death penalty until the case had been ultimately decided. With Missouri law allowing for the use of other forms of the death penalty in cases where lethal injection is not available, Koster has advocated the use of gas chambers to execute Missouri prisoners.

In 2012, after Koster's staff of 56 moved to a portion of the Broadway Building in Jefferson City, a $3.2 million request was made for "repairs, replacements and improvements" on two floors, "to include interior demolition, construction of new interior finishes, upgrades to the HVAC and electrical systems, new furniture, fixtures and equipment." Koster's own office is in the Supreme Court Building. "Funding the proposed renovation would not come from general revenue, but rather about $400,000 in administrative allowances that accompany federal grants, and about $2.8 million from the Merchandising Practices Revolving Fund. Money recovered by the state in consumer fraud cases goes into the fund, which is available to pay expenses of the attorney general's office."

Koster supports same-sex marriage, but defended his state's former constitutional ban on it because voters approved it.

Koster's office defended U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry after she denied a motion for temporary restraining orders on six police officers enforcing a "5-second rule" that required demonstrators to move every five seconds or face arrest in Ferguson, Missouri, citing the need for law enforcement's protection of property and the availability of a "free-speech zone". However, at the time of this ruling, the free speech zone was off-limits to the public. This "5-second rule" was later determined to be unconstitutional by a different federal judge.

In October 2014, a California judge dismissed a lawsuit Koster filed, rejecting the arguments of six states that challenged California's prohibition on the sale of eggs laid by caged hens kept in conditions more restrictive than those approved by California voters in a 2008 ballot initiative, Proposition 2. Judge Kimberly Mueller ruled that the states lacked legal standing to sue on behalf of their residents and that Koster and other plaintiffs were representing only the interests of egg farmers, rather than "a substantial statement of their populations". According to the Kansas City Star. Koster's office spent more than $83,000 on the failed lawsuit.

2016 gubernatorial election

As his second term as attorney general was coming to an end, Koster was running for governor. He easily won the August 2 Democratic primary and faced Republican Eric Greitens in the November 8 general election. He lost the general election with 45.4% of the vote to Greitens' 51.3%.

Controversies

• Missourians for Honest Leadership: In 2008, Koster's ex-wife Rebecca Bowman Nassikas donated $200,000 to a dormant political committee, Missourians for Honest Leadership, which paid $187,500 to purchase air time and produce television ads in an effort to oppose Koster's candidacy for Missouri Attorney General.
• Contingency Contracts: A 2012 audit by state Auditor Tom Schweich criticized Koster for his practice of awarding contingency fee contracts to law firms that had donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to his campaign.
• Pay to Play allegations: In October 2014, House Speaker Tim Jones announced plans to investigate charges that Koster took actions in office that were designed to benefit campaign contributors. News coverage revealed that The Simmons Firm had donated two $50,000 checks to Koster's campaign in 2013 only months after Koster filed a lawsuit against Republic Services over its underground fire at the Bridgeton Landfill(Simmons subsequently won a nearly $7 million settlement from Republic in a class-action lawsuit).; that Koster had ended an inquiry focusing on the company 5-hour Energy after conversations with a lobbyist for the company who was also a Koster contributor; and that Koster had negotiated an agreement with Pfizer, another campaign contributor, to pay Missouri $750,000 in connection with a multistate investigation of illegal marketing practices, about $350,000 less than what the state would have collected had it participated in a joint negotiation with other states, and attended a Pfizer convention as a speaker and guest during the settlement negotiation.

Koster ultimately said that he would no longer accept gifts from lobbyists. In Missouri, it is legal for elected officials to accept unlimited campaign contributions and gifts from lobbyists, and despite his position on lobbying reform, Koster rejects the idea of placing limits on the amount of money a corporation or a wealthy individual could contribute to a campaign. He instead suggests adding more transparency to the existing system.

Electoral history

As Attorney General

As state senator

References

1. Missouri State Senate Member Information
2. Official Election Results - State of Missouri General Election December 4, 2000
3. Sen. Chris Koster's Party Switch Press Conference YouTube, August 1, 2007
4. "Eric Greitens wins Missouri GOP Primary, to face Chris Koster in fall".
5. Andrea Chalfin, KBIA, Koster Switches Parties, publicbroadcasting.net, August 1, 2007; accessed April 3, 2015.
6. Kelly Wiese for AP, "Likely Missouri attorney general candidate switches to Democratic Party", medialab.semissourian.com, Southeast Missourian, August 2, 2007.
7. Stephanie Simon,When moderates feel lost in the GOP September 3, 2007
8. "Gibbons vs. Koster". archive.columbiatribune.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2016-01-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
9. Unofficial Election Returns Missouri Secretary of State
10. Geetika Rudra (July 10, 2013). "Missouri Death Row Legal Battle Could Bring Back Gas Chamber". abcnews.go.com.
11. Matt Berman (July 11, 2013). "Death by Gas Chamber Is Still a Thing in the U.S." nationaljournal.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
12. Jim Salter; Associated Press (July 3, 2013). "MO. AG SAYS STATE MAY HAVE TO USE GAS CHAMBER". ap.org. Archived from the original on 2015-04-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
13. Eli Yokley; The Joplin Globe (July 13, 2013). "Attorney General Koster suggests return of gas chamber". joplinglobe.com.
14. The Associated Press (July 10, 2013). "Mo. Governor Shows No Support for Gas Chamber Idea". abcnews.go.com.
15. http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/blog/2012/02/much-ado-about-kosters-3-million.html
16. Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster Talks SEC, Death Penalty, and Gay Marriage, youtube.com; accessed April 3, 2015.
17. "Motion for temporary restraining orders on six police officers enforcing a 5-second rule denied", stltoday.com; accessed April 3, 2015.
18. Judge Catherine D. Perry ruling discussed, aclu.org; accessed April 3, 2015.
19. Wesley Lowery (October 6, 2014). "Federal judges tosses '5 second rule' being used to police Ferguson protests". The Washington Post. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
20. Judge Kimberly Mueller tosses suit by 6 states re sale of eggs of caged hens, sfgate.com; accessed April 3, 2015.
21. Judge Kimberly Mueller tosses suit by 6 states re sale of eggs of caged hens, politico.com; accessed April 3, 2015.
22. Judge Kimberly Mueller tosses suit by 6 states re sale of eggs of caged hens, sacbee.com; accessed April 3, 2015.
23. ^ Koster lawsuit against California ban on caged hens' eggs, stltoday.com; accessed April 3, 2015.
24. Barbara Shelly. Blog regarding Koster's failed lawsuit against California ban on caged hens' eggs, kansascity.com; accessed April 3, 2015.
25. "Chris Koster Files to Run for Governor". KQTV. February 23, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
26. "Chris Koster for Governor". Retrieved April 1, 2016.
27. Messenger, Tony Bizzarro World e-mail of the day: Koster's ex-wife is BACK! St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 22, 2016
28. Wagar, Kit Bad breakup: Ex-wife drops $200,000 to blast Mo. AG candidate McCarthyDC. September 22, 2016
29. "Lobbyists bearing gifts pursue state attorneys general, nytimes.com; accessed April 3, 2015.
30. Missouri Attorney General faces scrutiny, nytimes.com, October 30, 2014; accessed April 3, 2015.
31. Editorial on Koster, kansascity.com; accessed April 3, 2015.
32. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/us/politics/missouri-attorney-general-denies-doing-favors-for-lobbyists.html

Sources

• Official Manual, State of Missouri, 2005-2006. Jefferson City, MO: Secretary of State.

External links

• Gubernatorial campaign website
• Missouri Office of the Attorney General official website
• Missouri State Legislature - Senator Chris Koster official government website
  • Biography Sponsored Bills Co-Sponsored Bills
• Project Vote Smart - Senator Chris Koster (MO) profile
• Follow the Money - Chris Koster
  • 2008 campaign contributions for Attorney General
  • 2006 2004 campaign contributions for State Senate

v t e Attorneys general of Missouri
Edward Bates (1820–1821) Rufus Easton (1821–1826) Robert William Wells (1826–1836) William Barclay Napton (1836–1839) Samuel Bay (1839–1845) B. F. Stringfellow (1845–1849) William A. Robards (1849–1851) James B. Gardenhire (1851–1857) Ephraim Brevard Ewing (1857–1858) J. Proctor Knott (1858–1861) Aikman Welch (1861–1864) T. T. Crittenden (1864–1865) Robert Wingate (1865–1869) Horace B. Johnson (1869–1871) Andrew Baker (1871–1872) Henry Ewing (1872–1875) John A. Hockaday (1875–1877) Jackson Smith (1877–1881) Daniel McIntyre (1881–1885) Banton Boone (1885–1889) John M. Wood (1889–1893) Robert F. Walker (1893–1897) Edward Coke Crow (1897–1905) Herbert S. Hadley (1905–1909) Elliott Woolfolk Major (1909–1913) John Barker (1913–1917) Frank McAllister (1917–1921) Jesse W. Barrett (1921–1925) Robert Otto (1925) North Gentry (1925–1928) Stratton Shartel (1928–1933) Roy McKittrick (1933–1945) Jonathan E. Taylor (1945–1953) John M. Dalton (1953–1961) Thomas Eagleton (1961–1965) Norman H. Anderson (1965–1969) John Danforth (1969–1977) John Ashcroft (1977–1985) William L. Webster (1985–1993) Jay Nixon (1993–2009) Chris Koster (2009–2017) Josh Hawley (2017–2019) Eric Schmitt (2019–2023) Andrew Bailey (2023–present)
Category List

• 1964 births
• 21st-century American politicians
• Lawyers from St. Louis
• Living people
• Missouri Attorneys General
• Missouri Democrats
• Missouri Republicans
• Missouri lawyers
• Missouri State Senators
• People from Cass County, Missouri
• Politicians from St. Louis
• University of Missouri alumni
• Washington University in St. Louis alumni