John Ashcroft facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Ashcroft
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Official portrait, 2001
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| 79th United States Attorney General | |
| In office February 2, 2001 – February 3, 2005 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Deputy | Robert Mueller (acting) Larry Thompson James Comey |
| Preceded by | Janet Reno |
| Succeeded by | Alberto Gonzales |
| United States Senator from Missouri |
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| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | John Danforth |
| Succeeded by | Mel Carnahan (elect) Jean Carnahan |
| Chair of the National Governors Association | |
| In office August 20, 1991 – August 4, 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Booth Gardner |
| Succeeded by | Roy Romer |
| 50th Governor of Missouri | |
| In office January 14, 1985 – January 11, 1993 |
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| Lieutenant | Harriet Woods Mel Carnahan |
| Preceded by | Kit Bond |
| Succeeded by | Mel Carnahan |
| 38th Attorney General of Missouri | |
| In office December 27, 1976 – January 14, 1985 |
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| Governor | Joseph Teasdale Kit Bond |
| Preceded by | John Danforth |
| Succeeded by | William L. Webster |
| 29th Auditor of Missouri | |
| In office January 8, 1973 – January 14, 1975 |
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| Governor | Kit Bond |
| Preceded by | Kit Bond |
| Succeeded by | George W. Lehr |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John David Ashcroft
May 9, 1942 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Janet Ashcroft
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 3, including Jay |
| Education | Yale University (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
| Signature | ,_presumably_dated_9-13_July_2002.jpg){kind=small} |
John David Ashcroft (born May 9, 1942) is an American lawyer and former politician. He served as the 79th United States Attorney General under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. Before that, he was a Republican Senator for Missouri from 1995 to 2001.
Ashcroft also held several important jobs in Missouri. He was the State Auditor from 1973 to 1975. Then, he served as the Attorney General of Missouri from 1976 to 1985. He was also the Governor of Missouri from 1985 to 1993. After his time in government, he started a consulting firm called The Ashcroft Group.
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Early Life and Education
John David Ashcroft was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 9, 1942. His father, James Robert Ashcroft, was a minister. His mother was Grace P. Ashcroft. John grew up in Willard, Missouri.
He finished Hillcrest High School in 1960. He then went to Yale University and graduated in 1964. In 1967, he earned his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. After law school, he taught business law for a short time.
Missouri Political Career
Ashcroft had a long career in Missouri politics. He held several important statewide offices.
State Auditor (1973–1975)
In 1972, Ashcroft ran for a seat in the U.S. House. He lost in the primary election. After this, Missouri Governor Kit Bond appointed Ashcroft as the State Auditor. This happened because Bond had left the auditor job to become governor.
In 1974, Ashcroft tried to be elected to the State Auditor position. However, he was defeated by George W. Lehr.
Attorney General of Missouri (1976–1985)
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John Danforth, who was the Missouri Attorney General, hired Ashcroft as an assistant. Ashcroft shared an office with Clarence Thomas, who later became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
In 1976, Danforth left his job to run for the U.S. Senate. Ashcroft ran to take his place and won. He became Attorney General on December 27, 1976. In 1980, he was re-elected with a large number of votes.
Governor of Missouri (1985–1993)
Ashcroft was elected governor in 1984 and again in 1988. He was the first Republican in Missouri to be elected for two terms in a row.
In 1984, he ran against Ken Rothman. Ashcroft won with 57 percent of the votes. In 1988, he won by an even larger margin against Betty Cooper Hearnes. He received 64 percent of the votes. This was the biggest win for a governor in Missouri since the U.S. Civil War.
During his second term as governor, Ashcroft led the National Governors Association from 1991 to 1992.
U.S. Senator from Missouri (1995–2001)
In 1994, Ashcroft was elected to the U.S. Senate for Missouri. He took over from John Danforth, who retired. Ashcroft won with nearly 60% of the votes.
As a Senator, he supported people's right to use special software to keep their messages private. He also helped extend patents for some medicines. In 2000, he held a Senate hearing about racial profiling. He said this practice was against the Constitution.
In 1998, Ashcroft thought about running for U.S. president. But he decided to run for re-election to his Senate seat in 2000 instead. In that election, he ran against Governor Mel Carnahan.
During the close race, Carnahan sadly died in a plane crash just three weeks before the election. Ashcroft stopped campaigning for a while. Because of Missouri's election laws, Carnahan's name stayed on the ballot. The Lieutenant Governor said that if Carnahan won, he would appoint Carnahan's widow, Jean Carnahan, to the Senate. After these events, Ashcroft started campaigning again.
Carnahan won the election with 51% of the vote. Ashcroft is the only U.S. Senator to have been defeated for re-election by someone who had passed away.
United States Attorney General
In December 2000, after losing his Senate race, John Ashcroft was chosen by President-elect George W. Bush to be the U.S. Attorney General. The Senate approved his appointment.
As Attorney General, Ashcroft supported the USA Patriot Act after the September 11 attacks. This law aimed to help the government prevent terrorism. He also supported strong measures for national security.
In July 2001, Ashcroft started flying only by private jet. The Justice Department said this was due to a "threat assessment" from the FBI.
In January 2002, a statue in the Justice Department building was covered with blue curtains during Ashcroft's press conferences. Department officials said it was to make the room better for TV. Ashcroft's successor, Alberto Gonzales, removed the curtains in 2005.
Ashcroft proposed a program called Operation TIPS in July 2002. This program would have allowed workers to report suspicious behavior to law enforcement. Many people criticized it, saying it could invade privacy. The program was eventually stopped.
Ashcroft also proposed the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003. This bill aimed to give the government more power to fight crime and terrorism.
In May 2004, Ashcroft announced that intelligence showed a terrorist group planned to attack the U.S. in the coming months.
Ashcroft supported the Second Amendment, which protects an individual's right to own guns.
In March 2004, Ashcroft was in the hospital. Some White House officials visited him to ask him to sign a document to reauthorize a government program. Ashcroft refused to sign it. Other officials, including James Comey and Robert Mueller III, also threatened to resign if the program continued. President Bush then ended the program.
Ashcroft resigned as Attorney General after George W. Bush was re-elected. His resignation became effective on February 3, 2005. He said his goal of keeping Americans safe from crime and terror had been achieved.
Consultant and Lobbyist
In May 2005, Ashcroft started a consulting firm called The Ashcroft Group, LLC. This firm helps companies with their strategies. Many of his clients were companies that made products or technology for homeland security.
In 2011, Ashcroft joined the board of directors for Academi, a private security company. This company was formerly known as Blackwater.
His firm also has a law firm, the Ashcroft Law Firm. In 2014, this law firm was hired to help a client try to overturn a past conviction. In 2017, the firm was hired by the government of Qatar to review its efforts against money laundering and terrorism financing.
Political Views and Activities
In 2009, a court case called Ashcroft v. al-Kidd involved Ashcroft. The case was about a man named Abdullah al-Kidd who was held for a period of time. The U.S. Supreme Court later ruled in 2011 that Ashcroft could not be personally sued in this case because he was protected as a government official.
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In 2005, when Karl Rove was being questioned about a government investigation, Ashcroft was reportedly briefed about it. Some people thought this was not appropriate.
Personal Life
John Ashcroft is a member of the Assemblies of God church. He is married to Janet E. Ashcroft. They have three children. His son, Jay Ashcroft, served as the Missouri Secretary of State from 2017 to 2025.
Ashcroft enjoys music and singing. In the 1970s, he recorded a gospel album. He also formed a barbershop quartet called The Singing Senators with other U.S. senators. He has written and sung several other songs, including "Let the Eagle Soar." He also wrote a book called Lessons from a Father to His Son.
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Books Written by John Ashcroft
- Co-author with Jane E. Ashcroft, College Law for Business, textbook (10th edition, 1987)
- On My Honor: The Beliefs that Shape My Life (1998)
- Lessons from a Father to His Son (2002)
- Never Again: Securing America and Restoring Justice (2006)
See also
In Spanish: John Ashcroft para niños
