Minnesota Republicans held a moment of silence for Derek Chauvin at their state convention Saturday, drawing swift condemnation from Attorney General Keith Ellison, the Democrat who prosecuted the case that sent the former police officer to prison for George Floyd's murder.
Delegates at the GOP gathering in Duluth observed about 10 seconds of silence for Chauvin after a delegate requested the recognition. The gesture came less than a week after the anniversary of Floyd's death on May 25, 2020.
Ellison, who led the prosecution team, called the moment of silence "an act of profound cruelty" to Floyd's family and said it was disrespectful to law enforcement. "This decision dishonors the memory of George Floyd and wounds his loved ones all over again," he said in a statement.
The attorney general argued that honoring a man convicted of murdering George Floyd struck at the heart of the justice system. "To honor the man convicted of murdering George Floyd, days after the very anniversary of that terrible day, is an act of profound cruelty to the Floyd family and to every Minnesotan who believes in accountability under law," Ellison said.
He also noted that Chauvin "disgraced his oath to uphold the law and his badge" and damaged the reputation of legitimate law enforcement.
Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years in 2021 for second-degree murder. He received an additional concurrent 21-year sentence in 2022 for violating Floyd's civil rights. The officer knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes during an arrest that drew international attention and sparked nationwide protests.
The case led to calls for police reform and became a flashpoint for debate over racial justice and law enforcement. But in recent years, Chauvin has become a rallying cause for some on the right. Conservative influencers like Ben Shapiro have questioned whether Floyd was actually suffocated, instead citing a pre-existing medical condition. Elon Musk, a close ally of President Trump, has amplified calls for a presidential pardon.
Chauvin has exhausted most of his legal options. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal in 2023, and state courts have repeatedly rejected requests for a new trial.
Democratic state lawmaker Jamie Long, a former majority leader in the Minnesota legislature, called the GOP's moment of silence "disgusting" on social media, noting that the convention honored Chauvin instead of victims of gun violence or fallen soldiers.
In his statement, Ellison acknowledged Floyd's permanent loss to his family and community. "George Floyd's children lost their father. His siblings lost their brother. His community lost a neighbor and friend," he wrote, adding that justice had been rendered according to the law after a jury heard evidence and appellate courts reviewed every claim.
"I am deeply troubled by what this says about the state of our politics," Ellison said.
The Minnesota Republican party did not respond to requests for comment about the moment of silence.
Author James Rodriguez: "Honoring a convicted murderer at a state party convention is political theater at its most reckless, and it suggests the GOP has calculated that courting Trump's base is worth trampling on the family of a man killed by police."
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