County Executive Page Announces his choice For Prosecuting Attorney to...
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Cort VanOstran is new St. Louis County Prosecuting Attornew
County Executive Page Announces his choice
For Prosecuting Attorney to Replace Wesley Bell
County Executive Dr. Sam Page today (Dec. 3) announced that Cort VanOstran will be his choice for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney once Wesley Bell leaves office.
VanOstran will fill the unexpired term of Bell, who was elected to the United States Congress in November. Bell will be sworn in Jan. 3. VanOstran, a Democrat, has resigned his position as a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of Missouri to become St. Louis County’s top law enforcement official. As an Assistant United States Attorney, he prosecuted fraud, embezzlement, identity theft,
conspiracy, drug distribution and firearms offenses. In addition to his work in the
courtroom, VanOstran has taught at Washington University School of Law since
2016.
“Cort VanOstran is a proven public servant. As a federal prosecutor, he’s worked to
protect victims of crime. As an attorney, he’s represented everyday Missourians and
stood up to powerful corporate interests,” said Dr. Page. “As the next St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney, he will work every day to keep our community safe.”
Before becoming a prosecutor, VanOstran spent years in private practice with the St.
Louis law firm Gray Ritter Graham, where he frequently represented Missourians taking on corporate interests. He was part of a team that represented American farmers in their suit against a foreign-owned biotechnology firm, litigation that ultimately resulted in the largest agricultural legal settlement in U.S. history.
He is a former law clerk to United States District Judge John Ross and United States District Judge Audrey Fleissig, both appointed by President Barack Obama.
In 2018, VanOstran was the Democratic nominee for United States Congress in Missouri’s then-Second District, which was comprised primarily of west and south St. Louis County. Over 140,000 St. Louis voters (or 48.99% of County residents living in the district) voted for VanOstran to represent them in Congress.
VanOstran earned his law degree with honors from Washington University in St. Louis. He was born and raised in Missouri and attended Harvard University on scholarship before moving to St. Louis over a decade ago.
VanOstran is married to David Wasserman, an employment attorney at
UBGreensfelder. They live in Richmond Heights. VanOstran will be one of the highest profile openly LGBTQ chief prosecutors in the country.
