Attorney General Pam Bondi just revealed that five Minnesota federal prosecutors didn’t resign in protest; she terminated them after they demanded a taxpayer-funded “vacation” until April while refusing to cooperate with ICE investigations.
Story Highlights
- Bondi fired five Minnesota prosecutors, including fraud case leader Joe Thompson, after they submitted early retirement papers and demanded paid leave through April
- Prosecutors refused to cooperate with ICE following the fatal shooting of protester Renee Good during an immigration enforcement operation
- The terminated prosecutors had led the massive $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud investigation that exposed widespread corruption in Minnesota
- Initial media reports falsely claimed the prosecutors resigned in protest over the ICE shooting probe direction
The Real Story Behind the “Resignations”
Media outlets initially painted a picture of noble prosecutors resigning in protest over the Department of Justice’s handling of an ICE shooting investigation. The reality proved far different. Attorney General Pam Bondi clarified the record with a blunt statement: “I FIRED THEM ALL.” The five prosecutors, led by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, had submitted early retirement paperwork but then made an audacious demand, they wanted to be paid through April while refusing to perform their duties.
Thompson and his colleagues objected to cooperating with ICE’s investigation into the January 7th shooting of Renee Good, a protester who allegedly accelerated her vehicle toward an ICE agent during an immigration enforcement operation. Evidence suggests Good and her spouse had been following ICE officers prior to the confrontation, raising questions about coordinated harassment of federal law enforcement.
The Fraud Fighter’s Fall From Grace
Thompson’s termination carries particular irony given his previous stellar work exposing Minnesota’s systemic corruption. He spearheaded the investigation into the Feeding Our Future scandal, a $250 million fraud scheme that highlighted Minnesota’s status as America’s fraud capital. The case resulted in dozens of indictments and contributed to Governor Tim Walz’s decision not to seek re-election amid the fallout.
Despite his anti-fraud credentials, Thompson found himself on the wrong side of federal law enforcement priorities. Internal calls revealed he supported treating the ICE shooting as an assault on law enforcement but balked at investigating Good’s widow for potential conspiracy charges. This selective approach to justice didn’t align with the Trump administration’s commitment to comprehensive immigration enforcement.
Minnesota’s Pattern of Federal Resistance
The prosecutor firings expose a deeper pattern of Minnesota officials undermining federal authority. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey praised the terminated prosecutors as “heroes” while calling DOJ officials “monsters”—a stark illustration of how local Democratic leadership views federal law enforcement. This sanctuary city mentality extends beyond rhetoric to active obstruction of immigration operations.
The Good shooting occurred in a city where local leadership has consistently opposed ICE operations, creating an environment where protesters feel emboldened to confront federal agents. When that confrontation turned deadly, these same officials demanded investigations focus on civil rights violations rather than the assault on a federal officer. Bondi’s decisive action sends a clear message that such resistance won’t be tolerated under the Trump administration.
Sources:
Top federal prosecutor who exposed massive $250M Minnesota fraud case steps down from position
Top federal Minnesota prosecutors officially terminated after dispute over ICE shooting probe
