Minnesota’s Top Fraud Prosecutor Resigns Following DOJ Pressure to Investigate ICE Shooting Victim's Widow
Minneapolis, Tuesday, 13 January 2026.
Six federal prosecutors, including top fraud investigator Joseph Thompson, resigned Tuesday after the DOJ demanded a criminal probe into the widow of a woman killed by an ICE agent.
A Crisis of Prosecutorial Independence
Joseph H. Thompson, a career prosecutor who previously served as the acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, stepped down alongside five colleagues on Tuesday following a sharp conflict with the Justice Department [1][2]. The mass resignation was precipitated by a DOJ directive to scrutinize the widow of Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent earlier this month [1][7]. Reports indicate the Justice Department sought to examine the widow’s alleged connections to activist groups and her conduct on the day of the shooting, despite video evidence that appeared to show she engaged in no illegal activity [1][5]. Conversely, the DOJ reportedly showed reluctance to investigate Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent responsible for the shooting [5][6].
Impact on High-Profile Fraud Prosecutions
The departure of Thompson represents a critical disruption to Minnesota’s ongoing efforts to combat large-scale financial crime. Thompson was the lead prosecutor in the “Feeding Our Future” investigation, a sprawling inquiry into pandemic-era fraud that has already resulted in charges against 98 defendants [2][4]. With 64 convictions secured to date, the office has achieved a conviction rate of approximately 65.306 percent for those charged in these related cases [4]. In December 2025, Thompson estimated that the total amount of federal funds stolen from state-run safety net programs since 2018 could potentially reach $9 billion [4][7].
Political Reverberations and State Response
The resignations have triggered an immediate political firestorm, with Minnesota officials accusing the Trump administration of weaponizing the Justice Department. Governor Tim Walz issued a statement Tuesday characterizing the events as the President pushing out “nonpartisan career professionals” to replace them with “sycophants” [2][5]. Senator Amy Klobuchar echoed these sentiments, stating that the politicization of the investigation into Renee Good’s death is inflicting “lasting damage” on the justice system [3]. Meanwhile, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the pressure to prosecute Good’s widow, describing the administration’s approach as a “pursuit of cruelty” that has simultaneously set back the critical work of fighting fraud [2].