Email forwarded to us this afternoon:

From: Lt. Governor Peter Kinder [mailto:peter@teamkinder.com]
Sent: Friday, July 03, 2009 4:09 PM
To:

Subject: Tom Schweich Introduction

Dear Friends,

The following letter came across my desk and I wanted to share it with you. I have met Tom Schweich and he has a very impressive background that highlights a dedication to  public service and a commitment to truth and integrity. In the future I hope you have the opportunity to meet him in person.

Dear Citizens of Missouri:

The purpose of this letter is to seek your support for the candidacy of Tom Schweich for Missouri State Auditor. With the country in financial straits, the race for Missouri’s Auditor is more important than it ever has been. Missouri needs an auditor who will make sure that every tax dollar is properly spent — a person with extensive financial, legal, investigative, audit, and management experience who has consistently advocated  conservative financial principles. I am a fiscal hawk who will root out waste, fraud and abuse and protect you, the taxpayer. My unmatched experience, fairness and record of doing the right things for the right reasons prove it. As auditor, I will put your needs as the taxpayer first and be the tough, fair-minded, and efficient advocate you deserve.

Yes, I am a new face to many Missourians. But I am not new to Missouri. First and foremost, I am a Missourian and a family man. I come from five generations of Missouri small business owners and professionals and I have been married for 21 years to my dear wife, Kathy. We have two children, Emilie and Thomas, Jr. One of the reasons I want to be auditor is to ensure that we leave a legacy of financial responsibility to our children.

I am not a politician — I have never run for anything before. Yet I bring unparalleled experience that makes me the best candidate to protect taxpayers. I am a former U.S. ambassador; prosecutor; international law enforcement official; award-winning author on subjects including law, finance, and management; a law professor; and, most of all, a patriotic American who served his country fighting terrorism, drugs, financial crimes, and organized criminal enterprises in Afghanistan, Colombia, Nigeria, and dozens of other countries around the world.

What do all these titles mean?  It means that I have the six qualifications needed to be an auditor: fiscal conservatism, legal experience, investigative experience, audit experience, management experience, and impartiality.

1.     Fiscal Conservatism:  In 2002, I wrote the book Crashproof Your Life, which—during a time of free spending and debt—advocated conservative financial principles for countries, states, municipalities and individuals.  I have lectured around the country, on TV, and the radio on the importance of fiscal conservatism.

2.     Legal Experience: I practiced law in Missouri for more than 20 years focusing on corporate legal compliance. I served as the nation’s top and second ranking international law enforcement official fighting terrorism, corruption, money laundering and other financial crimes, drugs, and gangs. In 2007, I served as the presidentially appointed U.S Ambassador helping Afghanistan build its legal system.

3.     Investigative Experience: I served as a federal prosecutor and chief of staff of the Waco investigation - considered one of the best run federal investigations in U.S. history.

4.     Audit Experience: I conducted audits of hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money at the State Department, and have conducted internal audits and investigations for many of Missouri’s largest companies.

5.     Management Experience: I managed 4,000 people in 80 countries with a budget of more than $2.5 billion at the U.S. State Department.

6.Complete Impartiality: I have had no involvement in creating the Missouri programs and offices that I will audit meaning I have no conflicts of interest.

But what do all these things mean to you? With billions of dollars of Obama stimulus money coming to Missouri, our state needs a fiscal conservative like me to protect every taxpayer dollar from waste and abuse. As auditor I will be the tough, fair-minded, and efficient taxpayer advocate you deserve. I will work tirelessly to make sure not one of your taxpayer dollars goes to waste, fraud or abuse.

Earlier this year, I was encouraged by a group of patriotic and well-known Missouri Republicans - conservatives and moderates alike - to become a new face in Missouri politics. I initially considered a run for U.S. Senate given my global experience. But working together and party unity is far more important to me than individual gain. The only question that really matters is: “What is best for the people of Missouri?” The answer is for me to build on my extensive skills as a law enforcement official, financial author, compliance attorney, and prosecutor to serve as auditor and protect you, the Missouri taxpayer.

The reception I have received so far shows my message of experience and integrity is connecting with Missourians. I already have received encouragement from Sen. Kit Bond, Congressman Roy Blunt, Lt. Governor Peter Kinder and many other well-known Missouri Republicans.

I am clearly the best candidate to win statewide in November. But I need your support to get there. I am asking for your assistance and endorsement for my campaign for Missouri State Auditor.

Please contact me at SchweichForAuditor@Gmail.com if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Thomas A. Schweich