Minneapolis, MN

FBI investigating Minneapolis DFL endorsement process – Minnesota Reformer

Published

2 years ago

January 12, 2024

FBI investigating Minneapolis DFL endorsement process – Minnesota Reformer

The FBI is investigating multiple allegations of cheating and chicanery that plagued the Minneapolis Democratic-Farmer-Labor party during the endorsement process for Minneapolis City Council last spring, according to two people recently interviewed by bureau agents.

The DFL endorsement conventions for two Minneapolis wards were canceled amid allegations of phony delegates, and the convention for a third ward degenerated into a brawl last spring.

After that, the DFL State Central Committee voted to mandate in-person endorsing conventions this year, except under extraordinary circumstances, and banned one candidate from ever seeking a DFL endorsement.

The party endorsement, which comes after 60% of local delegates back a candidate, carries no legal weight, but is a big boost in a heavily Democratic city like Minneapolis.

One person who has been interviewed by the FBI civil rights division multiple times — and was asked by the FBI not to talk to reporters — said the agents are investigating the endorsing process but also asked about election fraud.

“They’re very interested in the delegates thing,” he said.

The FBI agents’ take is that in one-party cities like Minneapolis, the endorsement process is key and opens the door to resources like valuable voter lists and data, which become available to the endorsed candidate, he said. The process, the agents told the source, is “ripe for fraud” if people exploit weaknesses in the system.

Another person who was interviewed by the FBI said he was asked about delegate fraud, too, specifically in Ward 6, and any possible fraud in the recent November election.

A spokesman for the state DFL party, Darwin Forsyth, said the FBI has not contacted the state DFL party. “Without more information, there’s not much more we can say about the topic,” he said.

Briana Rose Lee, chair of the Minneapolis DFL, was also unaware of the FBI investigation and has not been contacted by investigators.

Jerry H. Goldfeder, adjunct professor and director of the Voting Rights and Democracy Project at Fordham Law School, said just because FBI agents are making inquiries doesn’t mean anybody will get charged with a crime.

“At this point, I can’t imagine any federal crime that might’ve occurred when it comes to a local nominating convention,” he said.

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Several other attorneys — former prosecutors and election lawyers who did not want to be named because they don’t know the specifics of the case — said it’s possible the agents are looking into violations of the federal Voting Rights Act. The historic civil rights law dictates that the right to vote cannot be denied based on race or color — such as by diluting the vote of a protected class. One attorney said if candidates or campaigns manipulated the endorsement process, that could constitute fraud.

The FBI has been investigating voter fraud in Minnesota for several years, but so far only one person has been convicted of perjury, and the broader investigation hasn’t yielded any news in more than 18 months.

A federal jury convicted Muse Mohamud Mohamed — a campaign volunteer for and the brother-in-law of state Sen. Omar Fateh — of lying to a grand jury about his handling of ballots during Fateh’s 2020 primary victory over then-Sen. Jeff Hayden. Hayden questioned the integrity of virtual party conventions that year, when Fateh upset him and won the party endorsement.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Justice, Tasha Zerna, said she had no idea why FBI agents are interviewing people about the DFL endorsing process.

In March, the Minneapolis DFL Executive Committee rejected hundreds of delegate signups for council candidate Victor Martinez in Ward 5 after a campaign volunteer signed up the delegates using the same IP address, and was unable to validate them with paper signup forms.

Martinez, an Assembly of God pastor who opposes abortion rights and was endorsed by the Minneapolis police union, seemed like an unlikely choice for the heavily DFL ward in north Minneapolis, but signed up an unusually high number of delegates in his challenge to City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison. The DFL ended up canceling the endorsing convention. Ellison said he has not been interviewed by the FBI and wasn’t aware of the investigation.

In Ward 6, another political newcomer, Tiger Worku, signed up the most delegates, while Council Member Jamal Osman had the third most. Another candidate in the Ward 6 race, Kayseh Magan, a former investigator with the Attorney General’s Office, said he noticed over 180 delegates, mostly Worku’s, listed emails through an encrypted email service called Proton. Magan contacted some of the delegates, and some said they didn’t sign up to be delegates for Worku. Some were Republicans. The Ward 6 convention was ultimately canceled altogether.

In Ward 10, a newcomer to politics who announced a day before the deadline, Nasri Warsame, signed up more delegates than City Council Member Aisha Chughtai. Then the Ward 10 May endorsing convention devolved into chaos when Warsame supporters took over the stage as Chughtai was preparing to give a speech. They began shouting, jeering and pushing toward the stage, prompting Chughtai’s supporters to take cover in a back room.

Police were called and the convention was shut down. Chughtai said over a dozen supporters were assaulted. The Minnesota DFL Central Committee later banned Warsame from ever seeking the DFL endorsement again.

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Minneapolis, MN

Truck driver dead after crash sends Metro Transit bus into home in south Minneapolis

Published

5 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

Truck driver dead after crash sends Metro Transit bus into home in south Minneapolis

It happened early Monday morning in Minneapolis.

One person is dead and another is hospitalized after an early-morning crash in south Minneapolis on Monday that sent a Metro Transit bus into a home.

It happened at around 4 a.m. at 10th Avenue South and East 38th Street, just a few blocks east of George Floyd Square.

A spokesperson for Metro Transit police tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that a truck was speeding down 10th Avenue when it hit the back of the bus, ripping a tire off the bus and sending it into the front of a home.

The driver of that truck died, according to Metro Transit police, while the driver of the bus was taken to a hospital but is expected to be OK.

Officials say nobody besides the driver was on the bus at the time, and the home the bus hit was also empty at the time.

Investigators are still at the scene, working to clean up all of the debris and determine exactly what led up to the crash.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is at the scene and working to learn more. Download the KSTP app and follow 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on social media for the latest updates.

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Minneapolis, MN

Atlanta Dream survive thriller in Minneapolis, edge Lynx 91-90 to open 2026 WNBA season

Published

17 hours ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

Atlanta Dream survive thriller in Minneapolis, edge Lynx 91-90 to open 2026 WNBA season

The Atlanta Dream trailed by double digits, fought back twice and still needed Angel Reese’s game-saving block in the final seconds to survive.

Atlanta opened the 2026 WNBA season with a 91-90 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday night, powered by Allisha Gray’s 24 points, Te-Hina Paopao’s pull-up jumper with 12 seconds remaining, and a performance that left little doubt about what this team intends to do this season.

Reese’s block on Emese Hof’s layup attempt in the closing seconds sealed one of the most dramatic opening-night wins before 10,821 fans at Target Center.

When Minnesota pushed its advantage to 13 points in the second quarter and the Dream looked like they were in serious trouble, Allisha Gray took over. The veteran guard finished with a game-high 24 points on 7-of-18 shooting, going a near-perfect 9-of-11 from the free throw line to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Gray’s ability to get to the line and convert kept Atlanta within striking distance throughout a game that could have spiraled out of control multiple times. She scored 11 points in the third quarter alone as the Dream chipped away at Minnesota’s lead.

Rhyne Howard was equally important on both ends, finishing with 15 points, five assists and three steals. Jordin Canada ran the offense efficiently with 12 points and six assists, and Paopao added six points and four assists in a composed performance off the bench.

With Atlanta trailing 85-87 and the clock winding down, Naz Hillmon stepped back and drained a 22-foot three-pointer with 2:44 left to tie the game and silence the fans in the Target Center. It was the shot of the night, and arguably the play that won Atlanta the game.

Hillmon finished with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-10 from the field, adding seven rebounds in 33 minutes. She was the Dream’s most reliable scorer off the bench and delivered her best basketball when Atlanta needed it most.

Rookie Madina Okot also impressed in her WNBA debut, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with four rebounds in just 10 minutes, showing the poise and physicality that earned her a roster spot out of training camp.

Angel Reese’s first game in a Dream uniform was complicated. She shot 4-of-11 from the field, committed five turnovers and picked up a first-quarter technical foul that gifted Minnesota a free point. At one point in the first half, she missed three consecutive shots on the same possession.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – MAY 09: Angel Reese #5 of the Atlanta Dream blocks a shot attempt by Emese Hof #25 of the Minnesota Lynx during the fourth quarter at Target Center on May 09, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.

Ellen Schmidt / Getty Images

But Reese also grabbed 14 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass, blocked three shots, came up with two steals, and made the most important play of the game when it mattered most. Her block on Hof’s layup in the final seconds was the kind of athletic, instinctive play that changes games and defines seasons.

That is the player Atlanta acquired this offseason. On opening night, in the most pressure-packed moment of the game, she showed exactly why.

Minnesota had every opportunity to win this game and couldn’t finish it. Olivia Miles finished with 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting and eight assists to go along with eight free throws made. Kayla McBride scored 20 points and hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:11 left that looked like it might be the dagger.

Courtney Williams added 14 points and six assists, and the Lynx shot 50 percent from the field, a number that should have been good enough to win.

But 15 turnovers and an inability to execute in the game’s final minute proved too costly. Minnesota had chances to put Atlanta away in the fourth quarter and couldn’t. The Dream made them pay every time.

Atlanta continues its opening road trip Tuesday against the Dallas Wings before returning home for the May 17 opener against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces at State Farm Arena. Minnesota hosts Atlanta again on May 27.

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