A federal judge in Minnesota has dismantled a series of grand jury subpoenas that targeted Gov. Tim Walz and a dozen other state and local officials, finding the legal demands were weaponized to punish political opponents.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz ruled Monday that the subpoenas, issued in January during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement push, amounted to an unlawful abuse of the grand jury system. Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee, said the evidence of coercion was "overwhelming" and that the subpoenas were plainly designed "to harass political opponents" rather than gather legitimate evidence.
The subpoenas sought immigration-related records and documentation from Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarity, among others. County commissioners from both Ramsey and Hennepin counties also challenged the demands.
Four days after the subpoenas arrived, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi sent Walz a separate letter demanding Minnesota repeal what she called "sanctuary policies" and turn over voter registration, food stamp, and Medicaid records. Bondi's message concluded with an order to "restore the rule of law."
Frey called the attempted investigation an "effort to weaponize [U.S. Department of Justice] power against elected leaders who disagree with the federal administration." Walz went further in a statement, claiming the Justice Department is "pursuing criminal investigations into the President's political opponents" and cited the case as proof of that pattern.
Schiltz's decision carries weight precisely because judges rarely interfere with grand jury investigations, which operate under broad authority. Ellison noted that such judicial intervention is "extremely rare." But the judge concluded the subpoenas crossed a clear legal line by using federal investigative power as a tool to coerce state officials into compliance with federal immigration enforcement.
Author James Rodriguez: "This ruling shows judges still have backbone when it comes to stopping political abuse of the justice system, even under a new administration."
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