There’s word Tuesday that up to eight more prosecutors are reportedly in the process of leaving the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota, a massive departure of staff amid controversy around directives from the Department of Justice. The Star Tribune was the first to report the departures.
The latest resignations come after six other prosecutors announced their intention to leave because of mounting pressure from Washington to investigate Renee Good's widow.
Good was shot early in January by Immigration enforcement agents in her car, and Department of Homeland Security officials, including Sec. Kristi Noem and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino almost immediately declared the shooting an act of self-defense, and blocked local officials from any cooperation in a subsequent investigation.
That also reportedly upset prosecutors in the office, including former Interim U.S. Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, who announced his intention to leave last month. Thompson was staying in the office under the new, Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen.
Thompson became a very visible, important figure in Minnesota after handling numerous fraud cases that have plagued the state, along with the tragic shooting death of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and the mass shootings at Annunciation Church last year.
Among the second wave of prosecutors planning to leave is the Civil Division Chief Anna Voss. She is the point person for many wrongful death or wrongful detention petitions the office has been dealing with.
The office, already shorthanded and now facing more departures, is also dealing with the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Pretti was shot while protesting operations in south Minneapolis by Border Patrol agents.
The Department of Justice has announced that there is a Civil Rights investigation into Pretti’s death.