Growing Tensions At DOJ Lead To Resignations In Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WJON News) -- Six prosecutors have abruptly resigned from Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, protesting the Justice Department’s handling of an ICE agent’s fatal shooting of Renee Good.

Get our free mobile app

Among them is Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson.

Thompson has been a lead prosecutor in several high-profile investigations, including the Assassinations of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband last June, the Annunciation school shooting that happened in Minneapolis in August, and several Feeding Our Future fraud cases, along with other fraud investigations.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz released the following statement following the resignation of at least six prosecutors, including former acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota.  

“Joe Thompson is a principled public servant who spent more than a decade achieving justice for Minnesotans. This is a huge loss for our state,” said Governor Walz. “This is the latest sign that President Trump is pushing nonpartisan career professionals out of the Department of Justice.” 

Hamline University Political Professor David Schultz speculates:

They were asked to do something that is potentially in their mind, either illegal or unethical, and attorneys have a broad obligation not to do things that are illegal or unethical, and they have a broad obligation, especially as prosecutors, to promote justice.

Schultz believes part of the attorney's decision stems from the Department of Justice's pressure to investigate the widow of Good:

In their estimation, the request is inappropriate, and any attorney, when asked to do something inappropriate by their client, either has to refuse or disengage from the case, or perhaps resign.

Schutlz believes these attorneys are fulfilling their ethical and legal obligations.

There is now an alleged push from the Department of Justice for a criminal investigation into the actions of Renee Good’s widow on the day she was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.