Prosecutors Subpoena Minnesota Democrats as Part of Federal Inquiry
Source: New York Times
Prosecutors Subpoena Minnesota Democrats as Part of Federal Inquiry
The move is a significant expansion of the Justice Department’s investigation into the state’s leaders, including Gov. Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis.
Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis at a news conference this month. The Trump administration’s investigation was initially said to have focused on him and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota.Credit...Jamie Kelter Davis for The New York Times
By Alan FeuerGlenn Thrush and Devlin Barrett
Alan Feuer reported from New York, and Glenn Thrush and Devlin Barrett from Washington.
Jan. 20, 2026
Updated 2:56 p.m. ET
Federal prosecutors issued subpoenas on Tuesday to at least five Democratic officials in Minnesota, ramping up the Justice Department’s investigation into their response to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown in the state, according to two people familiar with the matter.
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 late Friday. 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, the inquiry as a whole was said to center 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. But the investigation is likely to run up against stiff pushback for examining political speech and conduct that is traditionally protected by the First Amendment. ... The shooting of Ms. Good, an unarmed mother of three, has led to sustained protests against federal agents in Minneapolis. In the immediate aftermath of Ms. Good’s death, Mr. Frey used an expletive to demand that agents leave the city. Mr. Walz has also sharply criticized the agents’ conduct, asking residents to monitor their efforts.
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Alan Feuer covers extremism and political violence for The Times, focusing on the criminal cases involving the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and against former President Donald J. Trump.
Glenn Thrush covers the Department of Justice for The Times and has also written about gun violence, civil rights and conditions in the country’s jails and prisons.
Devlin Barrett covers the Justice Department and the F.B.I. for The Times.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/20/us/politics/subpoena-minnesota-democrats-immigration.html
https://www.nytimes.com/by/alan-feuer
https://www.nytimes.com/by/glenn-thrush
https://www.nytimes.com/by/devlin-barrett
Hat tip, Joe.My.God.
https://www.joemygod.com/2026/01/doj-subpoenas-walz-jacob-frey-other-mn-officials/
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