ST. LOUIS – Tom Schweich, Republican candidate for Missouri State Auditor, announced today that former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, international security expert, and conservative commentator John R. Bolton will speak at two events in Springfield, Missouri, in support of Schweich’s candidacy. The events will be held on September 8.

“Tom and I worked to reform the United Nations by rooting out waste, fraud and corruption,” Bolton said. “I have no doubt that Tom would do the same to protect Missourians from waste, fraud and corruption as their state auditor.”

Bolton served from August 2005 to December 2006 as the 25th U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Prior to that, he held senior State Department positions in the areas of arms control and international organizations. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and is of counsel with the international law firm of Kirkland & Ellis, LLP. He is also a prolific author and television commentator on conservative issues.

In 2004, Schweich received a presidential appointment as chief of staff of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York. While there, he worked for three U.N. ambassadors: Jack Danforth, Anne Patterson (acting), and John R. Bolton. During his service, Schweich testified before Congress on ways to correct U.N. inefficiencies and corruption arising out of the U.N. “Oil for Food” scandal involving illegal kickbacks from U.N. member states and officials to Saddam Hussein. Schweich later served as deputy director and acting director of the law enforcement division of the State Department, and then as a U.S. ambassador helping Afghanistan build its judicial system and fight the drug trade.

“Working with Ambassador Bolton, we made progress in reforming the inefficient management structure of the U.N.” Schweich said. “I will bring that same intensity and independence to the role of state auditor ensuring not one state taxpayer dollar, as well as not one of the billions in federal stimulus dollars coming to our state, goes to waste, fraud, corruption or cronyism.”

Schweich is a Republican with extensive financial, legal, investigative, audit, and management experience who has consistently advocated conservative financial principles throughout his many national and global roles. He lives with his wife, Kathy, and their two children in St. Louis.