Breaking news: The Justice Department has issued subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

Washington Post

17m
·
Breaking news: The Justice Department has issued subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation alleging that they are impeding federal law enforcement officers' abilities to do their jobs in the state

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Justice Dept. launches criminal investigation of Minnesota governor
The Justice Department has issued subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation into impeding law enforcement.

January 16, 2026 at 6:08 p.m. EST 26 minutes ago
2 min

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/16/trump-minnesota-walz-frey-criminal-investigation/

By Perry Stein
The Justice Department has issued subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation alleging that the two Democratic leaders are impeding federal law enforcement officers' abilities to do their jobs in the state, two people familiar with the matter confirmed Friday.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1255473309777875&id=100059456532991

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Hat tip, the PBS News Hour

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

— Anna Bower (@annabower.bsky.social) 2026-01-16T23:41:59.474Z

This is a transparent attempt to create a pretext for invoking the Insurrection Act.

One provision applies when a group of people "opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws." And when it's (allegedly) the state itself...

— Steve Vladeck (@stevevladeck.bsky.social) 2026-01-16T23:33:45.467Z

Trump escalates his attack on Minnesota Democrats as Justice Department launches a criminal investigation into Gov Walz and Mayor Frey apparently on the theory that their objections to ICE amount to illegal interference, sources tell @perrystein.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt.bsky.social) 2026-01-16T23:28:18.030Z

This is bad. Like Reconstruction Era bad. www.cbsnews.com/news/justice...

— Anthony Michael Kreis (@anthonymkreis.bsky.social) 2026-01-16T23:06:30.261Z

[JustAnotherGen]

1. State's Rights

[Skittles]

2. remember when repukes were all about STATES RIGHTS

[pfitz59]

3. Simply refuse with the question:

'Where are the Epstein files?'

[Amaryllis]

21. New email from Sen. Wyden: For over 3 years, my team has been conducting follow the money investigation into Epstein..

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220944982

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

27. 100+

[The Roux Comes First]

4. The More Reciprocation, i.e., Suits Against the Obvious Illegal Overreach of This Rogue Federal "Government"

The better, as far as I can tell. It's not like there's a shortage of lawyers!

[travelingthrulife]

11. Everybody should sue if ICE injured them. Unfortunately, We the People will have to pay for the

actions of Trump and his monsters for years to come.

[bluestarone]

5. DOJ needs to use it's time on

EPSTEIN!

[Ocelot II]

6. Can't say that we did Nazi that coming.

[ancianita]

7. The malicious DOJ's got bupkis on Walz and Frey. They can't criminalize 2 men who do their jobs.

[Ocelot II]

8. They can try, though, and that's the whole point - to harass and embarrass them,

just like all the other investigations against critics and political adversaries.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

9. If they show up, their only statement should be "I take the 5th on everything you asshats want to ask.

[C_U_L8R]

10. When protecting citizens becomes a crime

We all know who the true criminals are. Their violence on this country is unsustainable.

[SpankMe]

12. This is, of course, completely made up

The Minneapolis mayor calls for ICE to get the fuck out of their city, and the Republicans classify that as obstruction.

The administration/DOJ are going to keep pushing for more extreme and absurd interpretations of basic acts so as to make them look seditious. It's clearly an organized program to install right-wing government everywhere by declaring any opposition - right down to even asking questions - as a crime.

We are so far from the America that the founders envisioned - even accounting for the passage of time and the course of 250 years of modernization - that we can technically declare that we are not America any more.

We have to start thinking seriously about what a version 2.0 of our country will look like. We're not going back to what we were. I really believe we've forever lost the rule-of-law state we used to be and will have to angle hard for higher levels of state autonomy. We'll be going back to "free" (blue) and "slave" (red) states. I'm not referring to actual slavery. Rather, I'm talking about free blue states where science is still believed and taught, personal and political freedoms still exist, we have a strong separation between church and state, we'll work for the environment and not against it and there's no coercion to adhere to a conservative world view. This, versus red slave states where citizens will be slaves to a conservative brand of Christianity which will be the state-sanctioned religion with penalties for apostasy, women and minorities will be subservient to white men, there will be no separation of powers and an all-powerful executive will exist, and everyone will be under tight surveillance by the police and will see penalties for non-compliant behavior - not unlike a powerful version of China's social credit system, except it will be managed by Palantir, Ellison, Zuckerberg and the new Nazi tech bros.

I've basically given up hope. I'm convinced so much chaos will reign for the upcoming election that few states will be able to cleanly certify their results. Red states will fall in line with Trump and will try to cancel or manipulate their elections. Control of congress will be inconclusive and we'll be in a crisis so deep that even the judiciary won't be able to get us out of it.

Dems need planning. There should be working groups at the DNC right now, meeting every week and coming up with strategies. I have no indication that this is happening.

Someone talk me down.

[BWdem4life]

15. Ok I'll talk you down

This stuff is escalating too quickly, they’re overreaching because they’re desperate. It’s all gonna come crashing down around their ears THIS YEAR. Probably in November.

[SpankMe]

29. From your mouth to God's ear

I hope you're right, and I will be putting energy - and dollars - toward making it happen. But, I'm not hopeful. This new American regime is like the Nazi's, but with powerful control of everyone's data, banking and a world-class police force in the form of ICE - an untrained and unethical police entity that worships their Dear Leader.

[NBachers]

24. The problem with Blue State/Slave States: The Slave States will keep attacking Blue states & won't leave them alone.

160+ years after the end of Civil War I and they're all about Gonna Do It Agin! Still butthurt, want their slaves back, and plotting revenge.

[C Moon]

13. I guess we're seeing project 25 unfolding.

[somsai]

14. It doesn't count in the absence of wrong doing

I doubt either man encouraged people to impede or hinder ICE agents in arresting people who broke the law.

[Solly Mack]

16. ...

[Farmer-Rick]

17. Pedo Trump wants to classify free speech about shitty federal actions

As obstruction. Don't say pedo Trump is wrong or we'll issue a subpoena against you.

Exactly what's the subpoena for? A grand jury? A talk with federal investigators, which doesn't require a subpoena. What's the subpoena direct?

[popsdenver]

18. Would love to see both of them

along with Hillary and Bill, standing in a court room with 100 ACLU attorneys surrounding them.......all yelling at the Prosecutor and Judge at the same time re: not answering subpoenas, when most of the Trump CABAL have refused to answer a subpoena

[Grim Chieftain]

19. So, the Trump administration is all about law and order

Really rich coming from a criminal enterprise headed by a thirty-four-time convicted felon.

[Skittles]

20. he loves pardoning criminals too

[Bayard]

22. What a load of crap!

The only thing those 2 men are guilty of is not taking what this admin is dishing out, and being Democrats.

Yes--trump is just itching to try out the Insurrection Act on anyone exercising their First Amendment rights. What is a subpoena supposed to do?

[Lulu KC]

23. Oh, how sick I feel

Sickened.

[Beartracks]

25. When Trump and Republicans accused Biden of supposedly "weaponizing the Justice Department"...

... they made it sound like that kind of thing was bad. Golly gee, it turns out what Trump and Republicans meant was, "If you elect us, we will weaponize the Justice Department."

==============

[mwooldri]

26. So maybe the authorities in Minnesota...

... should issue subpoenas against the feds for impeding state investigations?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

28. MaddowBlog-Trump's DOJ to investigate Walz and Frey, but not ICE agent who shot Renee Good

The evidence suggesting the Justice Department is an institution in crisis is increasingly difficult to avoid.

Facing a Justice Department investigation: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

Not facing a Justice Department investigation: the ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Good. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-19T13:08:45.803Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-doj-to-investigate-walz-and-frey-but-not-ice-agent-who-shot-renee-good

Take a wild guess what happened a few days after the Journal’s report reached the public. MS NOW reported:

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, according to two people familiar with the matter, a significant escalation of President Donald Trump’s campaign of retribution against his critics and a move that is almost certain to further inflame tensions with the state.

The investigation focuses on allegations of obstructing federal immigration enforcement amid protests throughout Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last week.

The governor and mayor join a growing list of Democrats facing Trump administration investigations, which now includes former President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff of California, Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, Sen. Ellisa Slotkin of Michigan, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, Rep. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania......

Time will tell what, if anything, comes of prosecutors’ scrutiny of Walz and Frey, but in the meantime, the one person in Minnesota who need not worry about a Justice Department investigation is the ICE agent who shot and killed Good.

BREAM: Is the FBI investigating the ICE agent who shot Renee Good?

BLANCHE: What happened has been reviewed by millions of Americans bc it was recorded. We investigate when it's appropriate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-01-18T16:24:27.784Z

“There are over 1,000 shootings every year where law enforcement are put in danger by individuals, and they have to protect themselves, and they have a lawful right to do so,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on “Fox News Sunday.” “The Department of Justice doesn’t just stand up and investigate because some congressmen thinks we should, because some governor thinks that we should.”

Blanche, a former Trump defense attorney, added, “We investigate when it’s appropriate to investigate. And that is not the case here. It was not the case when it happened and is not the case today.”

In other words, Trump’s Justice Department won’t investigate an ICE agent who shot and killed an unarmed woman, but it will investigate a governor and mayor who condemned an ICE agent who shot and killed an unarmed woman — as well as the victim’s family.

The evidence suggesting the DOJ is an institution in crisis is increasingly difficult to avoid.