John Ashcroft

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John Ashcroft (2010)
John Ashcroft (top, 5th from left) at the meeting of the G8 Ministers for Home Affairs and Justice in May 2004

John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942 in Chicago , Illinois ) is an American politician . He was Attorney General of the United States in the Bush Administration from 2001 to 2005 . He was previously the governor of Missouri (1985–1993) and US Senator for Missouri (1995–2001).

Life

Ashcroft studied at Yale University and the University of Chicago , where he made his Juris Doctor in 1967 . He then taught business law at Missouri State University until 1973 . From 1973 to 1975 he held his first government office as head of the State Audit Office of Missouri ( State Auditor ); in doing so, he followed Kit Bond . In 1976 he was elected Attorney General in Missouri to succeed John Danforth and confirmed in office in 1980.

From 1985 to 1993 Ashcroft, who is a member of the Republican Party , held the office of governor of Missouri; he completed two consecutive terms in office as the first and so far only Republican. From 1991 to 1992 he was chairman of the National Governors Association . In 1994 he was again elected to the US Senate as the successor to the no longer candidate John Danforth for Missouri. For re-election in 2000, then Governor Mel Carnahan should have been his opponent, but he died in a plane crash two weeks before the election. Since there was not enough time to have the ballot changed, Carnahan's successor Roger B. Wilson decided that his widow Jean should take his place if the majority should vote for Carnahan. As this case occurred, Ashcroft lost his Senate seat.

After George W. Bush's victory in the 2000 presidential election , he appointed John Ashcroft as his Attorney General . On November 9, 2004, shortly after Bush's re-election, Ashcroft submitted his resignation. He justified the resignation by saying that “new leadership and fresh inspiration” was needed in the Justice Ministry. Since then he has worked as a political advisor and lobbyist. He is also a board member of the US private security and military company Constellis .

Political position

He is known for his conservative attitude and is a member of the evangelical movement. Several controversial bills go back to him, including the anti- abortion laws and the USA PATRIOT Act , passed in the wake of the war on terrorism , which gives the state greater freedom to monitor and prosecute its citizens.

Ashcroft campaigned for the death penalty to be extended , fought against Internet pornography and illegal drugs, and tried to relax gun ownership regulations.

literature

  • John Ashcroft: Never Again: Securing America and Restoring Justice. Center Street, October 2006. - ISBN 1-59995-680-2

Other mentions

Web links

Commons : John Ashcroft  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikiquote: John Ashcroft  - Quotes

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Leadership see "Board of Directors"
personal data
SURNAME Ashcroft, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ashcroft, John David (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH May 9, 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH Chicago , Illinois