George Emerson Leach was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on July 14, 1876,[1] and was raised in Minneapolis.

[6] In 1916–7, he saw active duty on the United States–Mexico border during the Pancho Villa Expedition; first as a Major, and later as Colonel and Commander of the 151st Artillery Regiment.

[7] During World War I, Leach commanded the 151st Field Artillery Regiment, a unit of the 42nd Infantry Division.

[11] He served in this position until 1935, after which he returned to command of the 59th Field Artillery Brigade, reverting to his permanent rank of Brigadier General.

Under his command the division was activated and began its initial preparations and training for entry into World War II.

[17] During his second term, Leach's opponents accused him of being a communist because he opposed private ownership of a hydroelectric dam on the Mississippi River.

[18] At the same time, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was growing in Minnesota within the ranks of several fraternal orders, primarily the Masons and Shriners.

Leach was a member of several such organizations, and the Klan initially regarded him as a de facto ally but later considered him an adversary because he had appointed a Catholic as his secretary and had dined with the Knights of Columbus.

[21] The witness said she had lied about Leach, who denied both the affair and the charges of protecting vice and gambling.