It’s getting tough to keep track of all of the career attorneys who are walking out in response to the Trump administration’s shameful attempt to justify the murder of Renee Good in Minneapolis.
On Tuesday, six federal prosecutors in Minnesota decided to call it quits rather than obey the Justice Department’s demand to investigate Good’s widow, Becca Good.
Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus stand beside a photo of Renee Good, who was killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on Jan. 7.
Yes, her widow.
Joe Thompson, the career attorney known for investigating actual fraud—not the ginned-up allegations that form the basis of the attack on Minnesota—is out. Thompson led the investigation into the assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman.
In a normal world, having handled that would be noble and lauded, but we are currently ruled by a man who thinks that it's fun to promote conspiracy theories about their killings.
Thompson reportedly didn’t just leave because of the demand to investigate Becca Good, but also because the DOJ is clearly not intending to investigate the killer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross, and has blocked Minnesota authorities from doing so.
Also out? Harry Jacobs, the head of the criminal division who was handling the prosecution of Vance Boelter for the assassination of the Hortmans. Jacobs also prosecuted actual fraud, handling the Feeding Our Future trial.
Thomas Calhoun-Lopez is also gone, along with his expertise in investigating Minneapolis street gangs for racketeering.
Another top-ranking prosecutor, Melinda Williams, peaced out as well, rather than give in toU.S. Attorney of Minnesota Daniel Rosen’s demand that prosecutors say nothing about the FBI investigation to law enforcement or media.
The extremely Trumpy Rosen also said that only the assistant U.S. attorneys who he designated could talk to investigators who are conducting whatever sham of a federal probe is happening.
Bullet holes are seen on the windshield of Renee Good’s vehicle, where she was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on Jan. 7.
MPR News reported that the prosecutors also called it quits because—despite the pretense that the administration is very concerned about fraud—under Rosen, the office is not bothering to prosecute actual fraud. Instead, it’s all about immigration enforcement, which is all that the Trump administration really cares about anyway.
You’ll notice that all of the people who left are those who prosecute actual crimes and have done so for a long time. That’s in sharp contrast to Rosen, who handled literally zero criminal cases before getting tapped for his current job. Surely his lengthy experience handling eminent domain cases while living in Florida made him a great fit for the job.
In this world, one where the DOJ is nothing but President Donald Trump’s personal vengeance machine, what role could nonpartisan career attorneys like this really have?
The administration’s refusal to even open an investigation into Good’s death also led to at least four high-level attorneys leaving the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.
This is the work of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, who got her job not because she has a background in civil rights or criminal prosecutions but because she believes that Trump won the 2020 election and loves making it harder for people to vote.
Related | ‘I do not feel bad’: GOP eager to defend ICE killing Renee Good
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is doing everything it can to blame Good for being killed. Federal investigators have been assigned to investigate Good and her ties to activist groups— because apparently, in Trump’s America, that earns you a death sentence.
And now it’s also a crime to have been in the car when your wife was murdered by the government—a crime that warrants a federal investigation.
What’s not a crime and not worth an investigation? Being the killer.
A DOJ that coddles and protects someone like Ross while attacking his victim is no place for an actual lawyer, so good on everyone for getting out.
