DOJ DISMISSES LAWSUIT AGAINST MINNESOTA OFFICIALS INCLUDING GOVERNOR WALZ

A federal judge has blocked the Justice Department from using grand jury subpoenas against Minnesota officials. In a ruling unsealed Monday, Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz threw out six subpoenas targeting Governor Tim Walz and other state and local leaders, calling them a misuse of prosecutorial power. Schiltz wrote there was “no doubt” the subpoenas were meant to coerce officials after they resisted “Operation Metro Surge.” The judge emphasized that the Constitution does not allow the federal government to compel states to enforce federal law, and said the subpoenas crossed that line. He also found that prosecutors failed to show a valid criminal basis for the investigation. Politico reports the DOJ has not appealed in the five days after the ruling.  Governor Tim Walz is welcoming a federal court ruling that dismissed a U.S. Department of Justice investigation involving him and several other Minnesota elected officials. The investigation focused on Minnesota officials who took part in public demonstrations and criticized federal immigration enforcement connected to Operation Metro Surge. Governor Tim Walz says Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz ruled the investigation was unconstitutional and had no legal basis. Walz called the decision a victory for free speech and the right to protest peacefully, and said he’ll continue speaking out on issues affecting Minnesotans.