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Vivek Malek

Vivek Malek
48th Treasurer of Missouri
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 17, 2023
GovernorMike Parson
Preceded byScott Fitzpatrick
Personal details
Born1977 (age 46–47)
Rohtak, India
Political partyRepublican
SpouseRiju
Children3
EducationMaharshi Dayanand University (BA, LLB)
Southeast Missouri State University (MBA)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (LLM)

Vivek Malek (born 1977)[1][2] is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who is the State Treasurer of Missouri, following his appointment to the position by Missouri Governor Mike Parson.[1] He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life and education

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Malek was born and raised in India.[3] He graduated from Maharshi Dayanand University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Law, and went on to receive a Master of Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Laws from the University of Illinois College of Law.[2]

Career

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Malek began practicing law in Missouri in 2006. In 2011, he established his law firm, Law Offices of Vivek Malek, with a focus on immigration law. The Missouri House of Representatives and Senate recognized "his service and contributions to Missouri communities" in 2007 and 2015, respectively, and the St. Louis Business Journal awarded him their Minority Business Leader Award in 2010. He also appeared on Business Today's list of "30 under 30." In 2020, Governor Mike Parson appointed him to the board of governors of his alma mater, Southeast Missouri State University.[2]

Prior to his appointment as treasurer, Malek worked in real estate with Nathan Cooper, whose law firm he'd previously worked for. Cooper became notorious in St. Louis for unmaintained rental properties. Malek describes his involvement as both a family enterprise and passive investment, claiming he was not aware of unaddressed tenant complaints.[4]

State Treasurer of Missouri

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On December 20, 2022, Parson appointed Malek Treasurer of Missouri, following Scott Fitzpatrick's election as State Auditor.[2] He became the first person of color to hold statewide office in Missouri. He has stated his intention to run for a full term in 2024.[3]

As treasurer, Malek increased efforts to return unclaimed property, returning more than previous treasurers.[4] He drew bipartisan criticism from making a deal with Torch Electronics, a company in an ongoing legal battle with the state and represented by Steven Tilley, to advertise the unclaimed property program on their machines. Malek removed the advertisements following a committee hearing on the issue.[5]

Malek has pushed legislators to expand the capacity of the MOBUCK$ low interest loan program, which closed 2023 applications early due to high demand.[4][6]

In 2023, Malek proposed divesting state pension funds from investments in China, citing COVID-19, the 2023 Chinese balloon incident, Chinese suppliers of Fentanyl, and foreign relations. Initially, the proposal was rejected by the MOSER board,[7] but passed in a special meeting requested by Mike Parson. Opponents criticized the proposal as politically motivated related to Malek's campaign, and the request by Parson as interference.[8]

Malek is seeking reelection to a full term in 2024, and won the Republican nomination against several challengers in August.[9]

Personal life

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Malek resides in Wildwood, Missouri, with his wife, Riju, and their three children.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Erickson, Kurt (January 6, 2023). "Parson's Pick for State Treasurer Delays Swearing in to Skirt Term Limits". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e KY3 Staff (December 20, 2022). "Missouri Gov. Parson selects next state treasurer". KYTV. Retrieved December 21, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b Kellogg, Sarah (December 21, 2022). "New Missouri Treasurer Vivek Malek will be first person of color to hold statewide office". KCUR-FM. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Barker, Jacob (2024-03-31). "Missouri's treasurer owned rundown St. Louis properties, had ties to a 'problem' landlord". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  5. ^ Keller, Rudi (2024-02-27). "Missouri state treasurer removes ads on unregulated slot machines after grilling by lawmakers • Missouri Independent". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  6. ^ Lubinski, Amanda (2023-12-14). "State treasurer urges MOBUCK$ program expansion". Courier-Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  7. ^ Keller, Rudi (2023-11-20). "Missouri pension board rejects push by Vivek Malek for China divestment • Missouri Independent". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  8. ^ Keller, Rudi (2023-12-12). "State board votes to divest Missouri employee pension fund from China • Missouri Independent". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  9. ^ Hanshaw, Annelise (2024-08-06). "Vivek Malek wins Republican nomination for Missouri Treasurer". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for State Treasurer of Missouri
2024 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Treasurer of Missouri
2023–present 		Incumbent