Koster Taps St. Louis Lawyer For Chief of Staff

Attorney General-Elect Chris Koster announced his selection of Robert Kenney to be his Chief of Staff Wednesday, marking the first time in Missouri history that an African American has been chosen to fill this position.

"Robert has the superior legal and interpersonal skills that will not only make him an outstanding leader in the Attorney General’s office but an effective ambassador to the political community throughout the state," said Koster in a statement. "His expertise in every phase of commercial and business litigation will prove to be an invaluable asset as our administration cracks down on Medicaid fraud, corporate polluters, and employers who refuse to provide a fair wage and decent working conditions," Koster added.

Kenney served as Assistant Attorney General under Jay Nixon, working in the Consumer Protection Division, handling all phases of civil enforcement of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. He also worked in the Labor Division, representing the State of Missouri in litigation matters including workers’ compensation and prevailing wage cases, a top priority for Koster.

Kenney is currently a partner with the St. Louis law firm, Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus.

More on Kenney can be found HERE.

Donnelly Becomes First Woman To Run for A.G. -- Makes First Stop in Springfield

Democratic State Rep. Margaret Donnelly from St. Louis County becomes the first woman in Missouri to ever run for Attorney General.

In an interview with the KY3 Political Notebook in Springfield, Donnelly said she filed campaign papers with the Missouri Ethics Commission Wednesday.

Thursday night in Springfield, Donnelly met with a group of 15 Democratic political players, including lawyers, doctors and teachers for an informal meeting to talk about her candidacy and issues important to them.

"Call it an informal focus group," Donnelly told me in an interview. Donnelly said she did not collect a single dollar, and stressed the meeting was not a fundraiser.

This morning Donnelly spoke to the Springfield Chamber of Commerce Government Relations Committee to discuss legislative priorities. It's the first time in months the Chamber has hosted a Democrat to speak in front of the committee.

Donnelly's presence in Springfield is a clear indication that Southwest Missouri will be a battleground in the Democratic primary for Attorney General, because no candidate will have a home turf advantage.

"In a statewide race, noone can take it for granted," Donnelly said. "It's a very important area," she said.

More to come on my interview with Donnelly later.