Parson appoints treasurer, first person of color to hold statewide office in Missouri

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday appointed political newcomer Vivek Malek as the state’s next treasurer to succeed Auditor-elect Scott Fitzpatrick.

Malek, 45, will be sworn into the office in early January when Fitzpatrick officially resigns from the role to become Missouri’s next auditor.

Malek, a Wildwood Republican who works as an attorney, will be the first person of color to hold statewide office in Missouri. As of 2016, The Associated Press found Missouri was among 10 states that had exclusively elected white people to statewide office since Reconstruction.

Parson, during a news conference in Jefferson City Tuesday, said he had interviewed several other candidates. He said Malek’s education and background were reasons why he was qualified for the job.

“As a Republican, strong capitalist, and conservative Missourian, we know Vivek will be a principled leader who works hard every day to safeguard the people’s money and bring opportunity to Missouri families and their communities,” Parson said.

Tuesday’s pick marks the fifth statewide appointment from Parson, the most ever by a Missouri governor. Parson was elevated to his position after the resignation of former Gov. Eric Greitens in 2018. Just last month, the Republican governor appointed Andrew Bailey, his general counsel, as the state’s next attorney general.

‘American Dream’

Malek on Tuesday touted his life story as “the American Dream.” He said he immigrated to Missouri from India with $300 in his pocket and now owns and operates the Law Offices of Vivek Malek.

Practicing law in Missouri since 2006, Malek’s work focuses mainly on legal immigration litigation and business immigration consulting. He formed his own legal practice in 2011.

“I believe that Missouri needs a steady, conservative hand in the office of treasurer and I will work every day to make sure that Missouri’s money is invested wisely and directed in the most prudent ways possible,” he said. “My tenure will be guided by the conservative principles that I hold most dear as treasurer.”

The state treasurer serves as Missouri’s chief financial officer and is tasked with protecting state funds from fraud and abuse. The position manages state revenues and handles its more than $6 billion investment portfolio.

While the position of attorney general is widely viewed as one of the state’s biggest political launching pads, previous state treasurers have also used the office as a pathway to higher office. Senator-elect Eric Schmitt served as treasurer before Parson appointed him as attorney general in 2018.

Most recently, Fitzpatrick was elected auditor after serving as treasurer since 2019.

Criticism of Fitzpatrick, Parson

Democrats have previously criticized Fitzpatrick for some of his tenure as treasurer, arguing that he transformed the position to appeal to the conservative base. Critics often point to his decision last year to refuse to sign off on money-saving bond deals with school districts unless they dropped their COVID-19 health precautions.

Fitzpatrick congratulated Malek in a text to The Star.

“Mr. Malek’s background will bring unique perspective to the Treasurer’s Office and state government,” the text said. “As Treasurer I have worked to protect taxpayer dollars, return unclaimed property, help Missouri families, and increase transparency. As Governor Parson said, I know Mr. Malek will continue this important work in helping Missourians achieve their American dream.”

Shortly after Malek’s appointment, House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat, in a statement congratulated the new treasurer but criticized Parson for not appointing a person of color sooner.

“The caucus looks forward to building a relationship with his office that best serves the needs of Missourians,” the statement said.

“It is disappointing, of course, that it took the governor five tries to look beyond the usual suspects before picking the first non-white Missourian to hold a top statewide executive branch office. Missouri is a diverse state with a diverse pool of qualified candidates who merited more consideration than the governor had shown with his previous statewide appointments.”

2024 campaign

Malek’s appointment means that he will likely have to begin campaigning for the 2024 election after being sworn in. His lack of political experience contrasts with Fitzpatrick, who served in the Missouri House from 2013 to 2019.

On Tuesday Malek said he plans to run for a full term as treasurer. Parson said he would support Malek in that race.

“I think one of the things we always look at when I talk to candidates is how long you want to stay in this position,” Parson said. “That’s something that is very important to me.”

Malek holds a bachelor’s degree and law degree from Mahrishi Dayanand University in Rohtak, India. He also has a master’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s of law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law, according to the governor’s office.

Parson in 2020 appointed Malek to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Governors, where he focused on fiscal responsibility. The governor’s office said he will resign from that position before being sworn in as treasurer.