Justice Department opens criminal inquiry into Minnesota governor and Minneapolis mayor

The Trump administration has opened a criminal investigation into elected Democrats in Minnesota, according to a senior law enforcement official familiar with the matter. It is focusing on Gov. Tim Walz and Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, and on allegations that they conspired to impede thousands of federal agents sent to the city since last month.

The inquiry comes amid an aggressive federal immigration operation in Minneapolis; one of the agents deployed there killed a 37-year-old woman, Renee Good, last week. It remained unclear what investigative steps have been taken: the senior law enforcement official said subpoenas had yet to be issued but could be in the days to come.

News of the investigation was reported earlier by CBS News. Both Mr. Walz and Mr. Frey issued combative statements denouncing what they called a weaponized use of law enforcement. Mr. Walz said, "Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic," and his office said it had not yet received notice of an investigation.

Mr. Frey described the inquiry as an "obvious attempt to intimidate" him and vowed it would not work.

Key Topics

Politics, Tim Walz, Jacob Frey, Justice Department, Renee Good, Minneapolis