Minnesota DFL leaders voted to approve new bylaws Tuesday and ban Nasri Warsame from ever seeking a DFL party endorsement for any elected office.
The ban follows a chaotic scene at a May 13 Minneapolis DFL convention to endorse a candidate for the Ward 10 Minneapolis City Council race. During the event supporters backing Warsame stormed the stage as incumbent Minneapolis City Councilwoman Aisha Chughtai and supporters took the stage.
At least two people were injured during the incident and the convention ended without an endorsement.
DFL Party Chair Ken Martin quickly condemned the actions and called for an emergency meeting.
The bylaws approved Tuesday night state that a person can be disqualified from seeking the DFL endorsement or letter of support if candidates or their campaign supporters "have engaged in, incited, or consciously condoned physical assault, threats of violence, or violent acts while actively campaigning or participating in any function of the DFL Party."
“Tonight, the DFL Party’s Central Committee put new tools at our disposal which will help ensure our events remain safe and accessible to all, and allow us to hold anyone engaged in violence accountable. This is a positive step forward for our party and a rebuke to anyone who seeks to bring violence into a political movement like ours, which is guided by compassion and empathy for our fellow Minnesotans," DFL Chair Ken Martin said in a statement. "Additionally, the DFL Party has taken the unprecedented step of officially banning Nasri Warsame from seeking the DFL Party’s endorsement for any elected office. The behavior that Warsame’s campaign team and supporters engaged in at the Ward 10 endorsing convention was reprehensible, and today the DFL Party held their campaign accountable."
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Tuesday's actions by Minnesota DFL leaders opens the door for Warsame to be ousted from the party all together.
“Political endorsing conventions can sometimes be complex, contentious, and fiercely contested, which is why the DFL Party has processes in place to resolve any disputes that arise during these conventions. Violence and intimidation are never justified, and the action taken tonight proves that they will never be tolerated in our party," added Martin.
Bylaw #1
The Minnesota DFL State Executive Committee, following an investigation and then upon a 2/3rds vote of its members who are present and eligible to vote, can immediately and permanently disqualify an individual from seeking the DFL endorsement or letter of support, at any level, if the individual or supporters of their campaign have engaged in, incited, or consciously condoned physical assault, threats of violence, or violent acts while actively campaigning or participating in any function of the DFL Party. The decision of the State Executive Committee may be appealed to the State Central Committee.
Bylaw #2
The Minnesota DFL State Executive Committee, following an investigation and then upon a 2/3rds vote of its members who are present and eligible to vote, can permanently remove and ban any individual from elected or appointed party position, including serving as delegates or alternates to a convention, at any level, if that individual has engaged in, incited, or consciously condoned physical assault, threats of violence, or violent acts during any function of the DFL Party. Because of the timely threat to members of the DFL Party, this action will be immediate and require no formal hearing or removal process by the Code of Conduct Committee.