DOJ investigates two Minnesota officials
(NBC, KYMA) - The Justice Department (DOJ) is investigating Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D-Minn.), according to sources.
A senior law enforcement official and person familiar with the matter tells NBC News that the probe is looking at whether the two Democratic officials impeded immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
The law at issue is a rarely used federal statute with roots dating back to the Civil War era.
It was one of the statutes listed in a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi last month, obtained by NBC News, that spelled out the laws that she wanted federal prosecutors to use to target individuals she dubbed domestic terrorists.
In response, Gov. Walz said, "Two days ago, it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week, it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic."
Mayor Frey also released a statement saying, "This is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this administration has brought to our streets."
