Six Federal Prosecutors in Minnesota Resign Amid DOJ Pressure Over Renee Good Shooting Probe
Minnesota’s federal prosecuting team has fractured as six career Justice Department lawyers resigned over internal pressure tied to the handling of the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good, according to multiple confirmed reports.
The departures illustrate deep discord inside the Department of Justice, where prosecutors say they were pushed to open an investigation into Good’s widow and blocked from pursuing a civil rights inquiry into the agent who killed her.
Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, including veteran Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson, announced their resignations on January 13 after internal discussions with DOJ leadership over the direction of the Minnesota case.
The uproar stems from the Justice Department’s refusal to lead a civil rights investigation into the shooting and reports that prosecutors were directed to treat the incident primarily as an assault case. At the same time, top attorneys from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division in Washington are also resigning in protest over their unit being sidelined.
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“There is no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in response to the criticism, affirming the department’s current stance on the probe.
The resignations spotlight escalating tensions within the Justice Department as internal dissent grows over perceived political interference and shifting priorities in high-profile investigations.
Legal observers say the departures could undermine prosecutorial continuity in major cases already underway and fuel further public criticism of the Justice Department’s approach to civil rights enforcement.
Prosecutors who quit are expected to issue further public statements, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for transparency as the FBI continues its separate investigation into Good’s death. The fallout could shape oversight hearings in Congress in the weeks ahead.
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