Eric Greitens

Eric Greitens
Born	Eric Robert Greitens 4/10/1974
Birthplace	St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, author, businessman, former naval officer
Known for	56th Governor of Missouri, founder of The Mission Continues
Education	Duke University (BA), Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford (MPhil, DPhil)
Children	2
Awards	Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, President's Volunteer Service Award

Eric Robert Greitens (born April 10, 1974) is an American politician, author, businessman, and former United States Navy SEAL officer who served as the 56th Governor of Missouri from January 2017 until his resignation in June 2018. A member of the Republican Party, Greitens built a public profile that combined military service, humanitarian work, and nonprofit leadership before entering electoral politics. He served four tours of duty as a Navy SEAL, rose to the rank of lieutenant commander, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart for his service in Iraq and Afghanistan. After his military career, he founded The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting military veterans, and in 2013, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Greitens won the Missouri governorship in 2016, becoming the state's first Jewish governor, but his tenure was cut short by overlapping scandals involving allegations related to an extramarital affair and accusations of improper use of a charity donor list for political fundraising. He resigned from office on June 1, 2018, as the Missouri General Assembly convened a special session to consider impeachment proceedings. All criminal charges filed against him were ultimately dropped. In 2022, Greitens attempted a political comeback by running for a U.S. Senate seat in Missouri but lost the Republican primary to Eric Schmitt.

Early Life

Eric Robert Greitens was born on April 10, 1974, in St. Louis, Missouri. He was raised in the St. Louis metropolitan area, where he grew up in a middle-class household. As a young man, Greitens demonstrated academic aptitude and an interest in public service that would shape the trajectory of his adult life.

Greitens attended Duke University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1996. His time at Duke included engagement with humanitarian issues; he traveled internationally and worked with refugee populations and survivors of conflict in various countries, experiences that informed his later work in both the military and the nonprofit sector.

After completing his undergraduate studies, Greitens was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford in England. He attended Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where he earned both a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree, completing his doctorate in 2000. His academic work at Oxford focused on humanitarian issues, reflecting the international experiences he had gained during and after his undergraduate years.

Greitens's background before entering the military and later politics was notably eclectic, combining elite academic credentials with hands-on humanitarian work in conflict zones. These experiences would later become central to both his public persona and his political campaigns, as he positioned himself as an outsider who had served his country in multiple capacities before seeking elected office.

Education

Greitens's formal education spanned two prestigious institutions. He graduated from Duke University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then pursued graduate studies at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, attending Lady Margaret Hall. At Oxford, he earned both a Master of Philosophy and a Doctor of Philosophy, completing the latter in 2000. His doctoral research at Oxford addressed humanitarian and public service themes. The combination of a Duke undergraduate degree and an Oxford doctorate made Greitens one of the most academically credentialed governors in recent American history at the time of his election.

Career

Military Service

Following his graduate studies at Oxford, Greitens entered military service, joining the United States Navy and eventually qualifying as a Navy SEAL. He served on active duty beginning in 2001 and went on to complete four tours of duty as a SEAL officer, serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan during the War on Terror.

During his service, Greitens rose to the rank of lieutenant commander. He commanded a unit that targeted al-Qaeda operatives, a role that placed him in direct combat operations. For his service, he was awarded multiple military decorations, including the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart, the latter indicating that he was wounded in action. He also received the Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

Greitens's military career extended into the Navy Reserve, where he continued to serve even as he pursued civilian endeavors. His service record indicates that he was affiliated with the Navy in some capacity from 2001 through 2021. His military background became a central element of his public identity and was prominently featured in both his nonprofit work and his political campaigns.

A 2016 article in The New York Times examined the broader phenomenon of Navy SEALs leveraging their military service for personal branding and commercial ventures, noting the tensions within the SEAL community about members who publicly capitalized on their service.

The Mission Continues and Nonprofit Work

After transitioning from active military service, Greitens founded The Mission Continues, a nonprofit organization based in St. Louis that provided fellowships and service opportunities for military veterans returning to civilian life. The organization's model focused on channeling veterans' skills and desire for service into community projects, rather than treating them primarily as recipients of aid.

The Mission Continues grew significantly under Greitens's leadership and attracted national attention for its approach to veteran reintegration. Greitens received the President's Volunteer Service Award for his work with the organization. In 2013, Time magazine included him in its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, a recognition largely attributable to his work with The Mission Continues and his public advocacy for veterans.

Greitens stepped down from leadership of The Mission Continues in 2014, a departure that preceded his entry into electoral politics. The organization's donor list would later become a subject of criminal investigation during his governorship.

Greitens also served as a White House Fellow, a prestigious program that places emerging leaders in senior roles within the Executive Office of the President and other federal agencies. This fellowship further enhanced his credentials in public service and government.

Entry into Politics and 2016 Gubernatorial Campaign

Greitens announced his candidacy for Governor of Missouri as a Republican, a notable development given that he had previously been affiliated with the Democratic Party before switching to the Republican Party in 2015. His party switch drew scrutiny from political commentators and opponents, though Greitens positioned himself as a political outsider who transcended traditional partisan boundaries.

During the campaign, Greitens emphasized his military service, his nonprofit work, and his outsider status. His campaign attracted significant financial support; he received what was reported at the time as the single largest campaign contribution in Missouri history.

In the August 2016 Republican primary, Greitens prevailed over three opponents in a state that leaned heavily Republican. In the November general election, he defeated Chris Koster, the Democratic Missouri Attorney General. Greitens's victory made him the first Jewish governor of Missouri.

Governorship (2017–2018)

Greitens was inaugurated as the 56th Governor of Missouri on January 9, 2017, with Mike Parson serving as lieutenant governor.

One of Greitens's most prominent legislative actions was signing Missouri's right-to-work law, which prohibited labor agreements requiring workers to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. The law was a priority for Republican lawmakers in the state. However, the law was subsequently challenged through a citizen-led referendum process and was repealed by Missouri voters in a statewide vote in August 2018.

Greitens's administration was marked by controversies over government transparency. The governor was fined by the state for issues related to secrecy in government operations. The use of a secretive messaging application by his staff and questions about public records compliance drew criticism from editorial boards and transparency advocates.

Scandals and Resignation

In January 2018, a local television station reported that Greitens had engaged in an extramarital affair in 2015, before he became governor. The woman involved alleged that Greitens had taken a photograph of her without her consent while she was partially undressed, and that he had threatened to release the photograph if she disclosed the affair. The woman also made allegations that Greitens had been physically coercive during the encounter, claims that Greitens denied.

In February 2018, a St. Louis grand jury indicted Greitens on a felony charge of invasion of privacy related to the alleged unauthorized photograph. The case attracted national attention, as Greitens had been considered a rising figure in the Republican Party with potential for higher office.

A bipartisan Special Investigative Committee of the Missouri House of Representatives launched an investigation into the matter and released a report in April 2018. The committee's findings detailed testimony from the woman involved and other witnesses regarding the alleged incident.

In a separate matter, in April 2018, Greitens was indicted on a felony count of computer tampering. The charge alleged that he or his campaign had obtained and used a donor list from The Mission Continues for political fundraising purposes without the organization's permission. Reports indicated that a political fundraising invitation had been sent using a charity email list.

All criminal charges in both cases were dropped in May 2018, with prosecutors in the invasion of privacy case dismissing the charge and the computer tampering case also being resolved without conviction.

Despite the dismissal of criminal charges, the political situation for Greitens became untenable. The Missouri General Assembly convened a special session to consider possible impeachment proceedings against the governor. On June 1, 2018, Greitens resigned from the governorship, and Lieutenant Governor Mike Parson succeeded him as governor.

2022 U.S. Senate Campaign

In 2022, Greitens announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of Roy Blunt. His attempt at a political comeback was complicated by the scandals that had led to his resignation as governor and by new allegations that emerged during the campaign.

During the campaign, Greitens released a controversial campaign video in which he depicted himself hunting "RINOs" (Republicans in Name Only), using imagery of an armed tactical team breaching a house. The video drew criticism from across the political spectrum. An attorney for Greitens's ex-wife, Sheena Greitens, stated in court that the video had incited threats against her and asked a judge to direct Greitens to make a statement denouncing the threats.

In March 2022, Sheena Greitens filed an affidavit in their custody case accusing Greitens of physical abuse of both herself and their children. Reporting by the Missouri Independent revealed that the former First Lady had documented instances of alleged physical abuse by Eric Greitens in emails to a therapist and a family lawyer dating to 2018. Greitens denied the abuse allegations. Resolution of the court case was not expected before the primary election.

The domestic abuse allegations, combined with the lingering effects of the scandals from his governorship, significantly damaged Greitens's campaign. He lost the August 2022 Republican primary to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who went on to win the general election and the Senate seat.

Post-Political Career

Following his 2022 Senate primary defeat, Greitens largely receded from public political life. In July 2023, he reemerged publicly to criticize Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor who was then running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

In a 2025 interview, Greitens discussed his experiences and perspectives on leadership and resilience.

Personal Life

Greitens married Sheena Chestnut Greitens, a political scientist and scholar of East Asian affairs, who served as First Lady of Missouri during his time as governor. The couple had two children together.

The marriage ended in divorce. During the 2022 Senate campaign, the custody dispute between Greitens and his ex-wife became a matter of public attention when Sheena Greitens filed an affidavit accusing him of physical abuse, allegations that Greitens denied. She documented instances of alleged abuse in emails to a therapist and family lawyer, according to reporting by the Missouri Independent.

Greitens is Jewish and was the first Jewish person to serve as Governor of Missouri.

Before switching to the Republican Party in 2015, Greitens had been registered as a Democrat. His party switch was a notable element of his political biography and was frequently referenced during his campaigns and by political opponents.

Greitens is an author of several books, including works drawing on his military service and humanitarian experiences. His public profile was built in significant part through his writing, public speaking, and media appearances related to veterans' issues and leadership.

Recognition

Greitens received multiple forms of recognition over the course of his military and civilian career. His military decorations included the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

For his work founding and leading The Mission Continues, Greitens received the President's Volunteer Service Award. In 2013, Time magazine named him to its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, citing his work on behalf of military veterans.

He was also selected as a White House Fellow, a distinction awarded to a small number of Americans each year for demonstrated leadership ability and commitment to public service.

Before the scandals that led to his resignation, Greitens was described in national media coverage as a rising figure in the Republican Party, with some commentators speculating about his potential for national office. His resignation and subsequent legal and personal difficulties significantly altered public perceptions of his career.