Federal prosecutors have issued subpoenas to five Minnesota Democrats, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, as part of a criminal investigation into their conduct amid the Trump administration’s expansive immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota.
As The New York Times reports:
The subpoenas sought documents from Gov. Tim Walz, Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis and Mayor Kaohly Her of St. Paul related to their policies on immigration enforcement efforts in the state. Two Minnesota prosecutors, Keith Ellison, the state attorney general, and Mary Moriarty, the Hennepin County attorney, were also sent similar subpoenas.
The subpoenas, all of which were formally served on the officials’ offices, represent a significant expansion of the inquiry into Minnesota leaders that was disclosed over the weekend. The investigation was initially said to have focused on Mr. Frey and Mr. Walz, who have both criticized the crackdown. But it now appears that prosecutors will also scrutinize other public officials, including Mr. Ellison and Ms. Moriarty, who could open their own inquiries into the fatal shooting in Minneapolis this month of a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good, by a federal immigration agent.
While the subpoenas did not cite a specific criminal statute that the Justice Department was investigating, the inquiry was said to focus on whether elected officials in Minnesota had conspired to impede the thousands of federal agents who have been in the state since last month looking for undocumented immigrants.
The criminal probe contrasts sharply with earlier remarks by federal officials who had initially resisted opening a civil rights investigation into the shooting of Good, and instead shifted focus toward state and local leaders critical of the operation.
Walz has condemned the investigation, accusing the Justice Department of “weaponizing the justice system” against his administration for politically motivated reasons. Frey also called the subpoenas an attempt to intimidate local officials who have publicly challenged the federal response to the unrest.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
