Justice Department investigates Hennepin County Attorney's Office over new race policy
Source: Star Tribune
May 4, 2025 at 3:25PM
The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, according to a social media post shared Saturday by U.S. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. The announcement comes less than a week after a new policy was instituted by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty that asks prosecutors to consider racial identity in plea deals and charging decisions.
Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department’s of the Civil Rights Division, posted a letter addressed to Moriarty on the social media platform X. It says the investigation will seek to determine if the county attorney‘s office “is engaged in a pattern or practice of depriving persons of rights, privileges, or immunities” that are protected by the Constitution.
Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesman for the county attorney’s office, said in a statement that the office know the letter was posted but has not received it. “Our office will cooperate with any resulting investigation and we’re fully confident our policy complies with the law,” Borgertpoepping said.
The letter was attributed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle and Dhillon. It states that, “the investigation will focus on whether the [county attorney’s office] engages in the illegal consideration of race in its prosecutorial decision-making.”
Read more: https://www.startribune.com/department-of-justice-investigating-hennepin-county-attorneys-office-over-new-race-policy/601344615
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