Six Federal Prosecutors Just Resigned in Minnesota

Multiple federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned on Tuesday, including a figure well-known in the state named Joe Thompson, reports the Minnesota Star Tribune. The New York Times puts the number of resignations at six. Neither Thompson, who was No. 2 in the US attorney's office there, nor the others who stepped down offered a reason for their departures. However, the Times reports all six quit in protest of the Justice Department's decision to investigate the widow of Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent at a protest last week.

Thompson also objected to the federal decision to exclude state officials from the investigation into Good's fatal shooting, as well as to the reluctance of federal officials to investigate the ICE officer who fired the fatal shots, per the Times. The newspaper previously reported that federal investigators were instead focused on the political activities of Good, and the new story extends that to her widow. President Trump has referred to them both as "political agitators."

Before his resignation, Thompson oversaw a major fraud investigation in the state that made national headlines. He became known for his aggressive posture on the issue, telling the editorial board of the Star Tribune last year that Minnesota had become "far and away the leader in fraud," a claim Gov. Tim Walz has sharply disputed. President Trump named him acting US Attorney of Minnesota in May of last year, and he remained in that post for six months.