Thomas A. Schweich (October 2, 1960 – February 26, 2015) was an American politician, diplomat, attorney, and author. A member of the Republican Party, Schweich served as State Auditor of Missouri from 2011 until his death in 2015. Prior to being elected State Auditor, he served as the U.S. Coordinator for Counternarcotics and Justice Reform in Afghanistan. While in that position, he was given the rank of Ambassador by U.S. President George W. Bush. In the 2010 election, Schweich was elected State Auditor, defeating Democratic incumbent Susan Montee. He was reelected in 2014 without opposition. In 2015, Schweich announced he would run for Governor of Missouri in the 2016 election. On February 26, 2015, he died as a result of injuries sustained from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Education and legal career Schweich was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Brigitte, who was Christian and Julius Schweich, who was Jewish. He was a fifth generation Missourian and a graduate of Missouri's public school system. Schweich was not Jewish but believed that there was an anti-Semitic whispering campaign preceding his death which suggested that he was Jewish. One investigative reporter has been unable to determine the authenticity of the claims, and whether or not they were being used for political gain. His paternal grandfather was Jewish. Schweich attended an Episcopal church. Schweich received his undergraduate degree from Yale University, and he obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School. After law school he joined the oldest law firm in Missouri, Bryan Cave. As a partner at Bryan Cave, Schweich specialized in corporate compliance, helping to manage internal audits and investigations for large companies. Public service career Danforth Special Counsel Investigation into Waco Siege Schweich began his public service career in 1999, when he was named Chief of Staff for former U.S. Senator John Danforth's investigation of the federal government's actions in connection with the 1993 FBI siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas; a siege which resulted in the deaths of over 80 people, including 23 children. The investigation concluded that the Davidians died as a result of a suicide pact, but it also uncovered numerous instances of negligent conduct in the way that the federal government conducted the siege. United Nations John Danforth appointed Schweich to be his chief of staff when he was the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Schweich also served as