Former AG Bailey takes swipe at Buffaloe, shows support for new jail during speech for Boone County Pachyderm Club

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) 

Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey took aim at Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe during a Tuesday night speech, accusing her of undermining law enforcement and the city, while also voicing support for a proposed new Boone County Jail.

Bailey made the comments while serving as the featured keynote speaker at the Columbia Pachyderm Club’s annual Chili Supper at the American Legion, one of his first public appearances in Missouri since resigning last week as co-deputy director of the FBI.

During the speech, Bailey addressed public safety in Columbia and criticized Buffloe for “not giving law enforcement enough support," while calling for greater state involvement in the city.

“The great purple-headed Buffaloe is doing everything she can to run down the police and ruin this community. We can't let that happen. The state of Missouri at some point is going to have to step in because we can't let the great purple-headed Buffaloe destroy a vital state institution like the University of Missouri,” Bailey said during his speech. “Your kids should be able to go downtown and you should be able to go downtown. Alumni should be able to come to this community and go downtown on the Friday night without fear, of getting mugged. The businesses deserve that. The people deserve that.”

After the speech, Bailey doubled down on his criticism when asked what more he would like to see Buffaloe and Columbia leaders do to improve downtown safety.

“More support for our law enforcement officers. At the end of the day, the leadership in Columbia is more focused on DEI programs and drag shows for kids and porno books in libraries, than they are actually securing downtown and ensuring public safety and justice for victims,” Bailey told ABC 17 News.

Bailey also expressed support for Proposition L, a 3/8-cent sales tax that Boone County voters will consider Nov. 3. The measure would help fund construction of a new Boone County Jail and has been given a sunset date of Dec. 31, 2042.

“It doesn't matter if the cops arrest people, if they don't have a place to lock them up. You don't have a place to lock folks up. It doesn't matter how many police you have on the street, you got to have a place to lock them up,” Bailey said during the speech. “You're paying a lot of money right now to ship prisoners out of county. That's called a new jail at some point. So I want you all to consider that and think about the criminal justice system, how that's the cornerstone of prosperous communities.”

Bailey’s comments in Columbia came about a week after he announced his resignation from the FBI. His resignation took effect Oct. 2, and he said in a post on X that he was leaving to return to his family in Missouri. He reiterated that statement during Tuesday's speech. FBI Director Kash Patel later thanked Bailey for “answering the call to serve.”

Bailey joined the FBI after leaving the Missouri attorney general’s office. He was appointed attorney general by Gov. Mike Parson in 2022 and won a full term in 2024. Just one year into that term, Bailey left Missouri’s top law enforcement post to join Patel at the FBI.

He became co-deputy director, a position that marked the first time in the FBI’s history that the bureau had two people sharing the role. Bailey initially served alongside Dan Bongino and later alongside Christopher Raia after Bongino left the bureau.

Despite the sudden resignations, Bailey described his time at the FBI positively when asked by ABC 17 News how the unusual co-deputy director arrangement worked.

“That was great. Look, there's enough work to be done for everybody and rooting out the deep state, implementing the president's policy objectives. That takes hard work, dedication, tireless effort, and so plenty of work to go around,” Bailey said.

During his roughly one-year tenure, Bailey was involved in several high-profile operations, including “Operation VIPER,” a federal effort targeting violent crime in St. Louis that resulted in 91 arrests.

He was also involved in a January operation in Fulton County, Georgia, where federal agents searched the county’s main election facility in Union City for records related to the 2020 presidential election. Bailey had been overseeing election-related investigations at the FBI.

During Tuesday’s speech, Bailey said the FBI increased its number of voter fraud investigations by 500% during his time at the bureau.

“During my time at the FBI, proud of the work we did to make sure that America's elections are secure so that our constitutional right to vote isn't silenced by criminal behavior elsewhere,” Bailey told ABC 17 News. “There's been numerous prosecute investigations leading to arrest and prosecution. And I refer you to the FBI's Twitter feed or press releases on those.”

Bailey joined the FBI when there was tension surrounding the department regarding the release of the Epstein Files. ABC 17 News asked Bailey if he would had any regrets about how the FBI handled it. 

“That all happened before I took office. It was largely concluded. It's not an issue I ever dealt with, but what I tell you what I would tell you is this, I'm always going to stand up for justice for victims. I think public transparency is important,” Bailey said. “As Missouri attorney general, I enforce the sunshine law. And sometimes you have to do that against friends. Sometimes you have to do that against municipalities that are trying to do the right thing but get it wrong. And so transparency is always important in maintaining and restoring public trust in public institutions.” 

Bailey also spoke about his support for Amendment 3 -- which would reinstate an abortion ban in the state -- and the personal experience that helped shape his strong anti-abortion stance. Bailey’s wife became pregnant in 2018. Bailey said doctors told the couple during their first ultrasound that the baby would not survive.

“We named her Grace because by the grace of God, I got to hold her for one hour, one hour before the good Lord took her home. But that hour I got to spend with my daughter taught me that all life has value. Period. I will never surrender, never retreat, as a pro-life advocate. Amendment three is a battle we have to win. It's not the final battle in this fight. It's not going to win the war in total, but it's a critical battle that we can't afford to lose. We have to win,” Bailey said during the speech.

When asked about his future plans during a media scrum, Bailey reiterated that he wants to spend more time with his children. Asked what he plans to do next in Missouri, Bailey said his focus is on Amendment 3 and spending time with his family.

The Columbia Pachyderm Club event also featured other Missouri political figures and candidates, including Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, representatives of State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, state Rep. John Martin and Boone County associate circuit judge candidate James Egan.