First-term Minnesota Democratic legislator John Thompson is refusing to resign despite the wishes of state leadership for allegations of his past crimes. Fox9 Minneapolis reported that Thompson was involved in multiple domestic assault cases. Court records from 2003 to 2011 show he pled guilty in three cases to reduce his charges of disorderly conduct and a fourth case was dismissed.
Additionally, Thompson is now on trial for a 2019 obstruction case in Hennepin County Court, to which his attorney says his client “maintains the allegations are false and he was never found guilty of them in a court.”
Democratic Governor Tim Walz joined the Democratic House leadership, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and the Republican Party of Minnesota in calling for Thompson’s resignation on Saturday.
A press release from Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan stated, “The alleged acts of violence against multiple women outlined in these reports are serious and deeply disturbing. Minnesotans deserve representatives of the highest moral character, who uphold our shared values. Representative Thompson can no longer effectively be that leader and he should immediately resign.”
Thompson’s attorney, Jordan Kushner, said Thompson “challenges the authenticity of the police reports that have been circulated to the press.” In an email Kushner wrote, “Mr. Thompson and his wife – the only person whom Mr. Thompson would have been with at the times of the incidents – categorically deny that any of the inflammatory allegations (including but not limited to choking anyone or exposing himself) ever occurred.”
“Mr. Thompson’s wife further does not recall and does not believe she ever made such allegations” Kushner’s email continued. Thompson and his attorney say the allegations are the fault of “persons associated with law enforcement” for “waring a smear campaign against Mr. Thompson since his speech in Hugo, MN in August 2020” referring to a protest outside of a police union official’s house.
Thompson introduced bills in his first year as legislator to end qualified immunity for police and speed up release of body-camera footage.
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