John Ashcroft

Former U.S. Attorney General, Governor and U.S. Senator John Ashcroft serves as founder and Chairman of The Ashcroft Group and The Ashcroft Law Firm (together, the “Firm”). He was a key supporter of the USA Patriot Act and the use of torture on suspected terrorists during his tenure as Attorney General. Ashcroft also provided a 30-day stay of execution for Timothy McVeigh, the man sentenced to death for the Oklahoma City bombing. After leaving politics, Ashcroft founded The Ashcroft Group, a Washington D.C. lobbying firm, which had collected $269,000 by 2005, including $220,000 from Oracle Corporation.

As Attorney General and the U.S. Justice Department’s CEO, Ashcroft led the world’s largest and foremost international law firm and law enforcement agency—an organization larger than most Fortune 500 companies, with over 122,000 employees. As a member of the Federalist Society, he integrated strategic planning, budgeting, and performance measures, which resulted in the DOJ earning a clean audit for the first time in its history.

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Ashcroft directed the Department of Justice's transformation to focus on preventing terrorism. He successfully dismantled terrorist cells across America and disrupted over 150 terrorist plots worldwide. In the midst of this, Ashcroft was also dealing with unprecedented corporate scandals at ENRON, WorldCom, and many more. He was instrumental in restoring faith in the integrity of the marketplace by bringing to justice those guilty of massive corporate fraud.

Ashcroft served as the Governor of Missouri from 1985 to 1993, balancing eight consecutive budgets, establishing a $190 million operating reserve, and generating 338,000 new jobs statewide. His fiscal integrity led to a triple-A bond rating from the three major Wall Street rating agencies and a per capita state and local tax burden ranked 49th in the United States. Ashcroft also served as Chairman of the National Governors Association from 1991 to 1992.

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, Ashcroft helped balance the federal budget for the first time in decades. He also played a role in reforming laws regulating the banking, telecommunications, aviation, transportation, and information technology industries. Ashcroft served as the United States Senator from Missouri from 1995 to 2001, and also served two terms as Missouri Attorney General.

In addition to his political career, Ashcroft has made significant contributions to academia. He is a professor at the Regent University School of Law and has co-authored the textbook "College Law for Business" with Jane E. Ashcroft. He also wrote the books "On My Honor: The Beliefs that Shape My Life," "Lessons from a Father to His Son," and "Never Again: Securing America and Restoring Justice." Ashcroft was raised in Springfield, Missouri, received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago.