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

Man on Conditional Release Now Charged in Minneapolis Murder — MNCRIME.com

Published

4 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Man on Conditional Release Now Charged in Minneapolis Murder — MNCRIME.com

A man is now charged with murder after prosecutors say a robbery inside a Minneapolis apartment building ended in a fatal shooting.

Prosecutors say the man was on conditional release after being charged with first-degree armed carjacking for an incident in Minneapolis last September.

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The killing happened Feb. 24 inside the Abbott Apartments lounge area on the 100 block of East 18th Street, where police found an adult man dead from gunshot wounds after reports of a shooting.

Court documents state the victim and a friend went to the building to meet 20-year-old Abdirahman Khayre Khayre. A witness stated Khayre left the room several times and appeared to be stalling before three armed men entered and demanded property. The men were described as carrying two Glock-style handguns with extended magazines and an AR-style rifle. During the robbery, the suspects demanded a Louis Vuitton bag belonging to the victim. When the victim resisted, a struggle broke out. The witness stated that two guns were taken from him during the robbery.

The witness told investigators Khayre was handed one of the stolen guns and then pointed it at him, causing him to flee into the lobby. Moments later, multiple gunshots were heard. The witness returned and found the victim shot. Surveillance footage from other areas of the building reportedly corroborated key parts of the account, and the witness later identified Khayre in a photo lineup, according to the complaint.

PREVIOUSLY: Man Shot and Killed Inside Minneapolis Apartment Building

Authorities say Khayre was on conditional release at the time of the killing in a separate Hennepin County case involving a September 2025 armed carjacking.

READ MORE > Minneapolis coverage

In that earlier case, prosecutors alleged Khayre and others confronted a woman in a garage near 19th Street and Nicollet Avenue, pointed handguns at her and forced her to give up the keys to a Dodge Challenger before fleeing in the stolen vehicle. Officers later located the vehicle and arrested multiple suspects, including Khayre, who was identified as the driver.

Court records show Khayre posted a $75,000 non-cash bond and was released under conditions requiring him to remain law-abiding, have no possession of firearms or ammunition, avoid alcohol and controlled substances and complete treatment.

Khayre is now charged with second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony and first-degree aggravated robbery. He made an initial court appearance Friday, where a judge set bail at $1 million. If convicted of second-degree felony murder, he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

The homicide investigation remains ongoing. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim. Anyone with information is asked to contact Minneapolis police by emailing policetips@minneapolismn.gov or calling 612-673-5845. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or online. Information leading to an arrest and conviction may be eligible for a financial reward.

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Minneapolis, MN

Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say

Published

16 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Man killed over Louie Vuitton bag, suspect was on bond for suspected carjacking, charges say

article

Minneapolis police are investigating a homicide on Feb. 24, 2026. (FOX 9)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man is dead after a witness said he refused to give up a Louis Vuitton bag while being robbed by multiple men at gunpoint.

Abdirahman Khayre Khayre, 20, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree robbery for the incident that happened on the evening of Feb. 24 in Minneapolis.

READ MORE: Man fatally shot in south Minneapolis apartment building

Fatal Minneapolis shooting after robbery

The set-up:

Minneapolis police responded around 10:42 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Abbott Apartments, located on the 100 block of East 18th Street in the Stevens Square neighborhood of Minneapolis.

Officers then found a dead man in the lobby who had been shot multiple times.

A witness to the shooting said he and the victim arrived at the apartments to “hang out” with Khayre, according to the criminal complaint.

The witness said he became suspicious when Khayre he left the room multiple times and “appeared to be stalling.”

The robbery:

The complaint states the witness reported three men then came into the room and yelled “Give me everything.” The men were armed with Glock handguns that had extended magazines as well as an AR-style rifle.

They then stole two guns from the witness, and one of them was handed to Khayre.

When the men demanded a Louis Vuitton bag from the victim, he refused, leading to a fight between them all.

The shooting:

The witness said when he walked toward them, Khayre pointed the witness’ stolen gun at him and racked it.

The witness then got out of the room, ran toward the lobby and heard multiple gunshots. He then saw two of the men flee out the back of the building, but didn’t see what direction they went in.

The victim was then found dead.

The aftermath:

Khayre was then identified by the witness in a photo lineup, according to the criminal complaint.

Police say video footage corroborated much of what the witness reported.

Khayre was on conditional release for a suspected carjacking at the time of the shooting, according to the complaint.

The Source: This story uses information gathered from a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County and previous FOX 9 reporting.

Crime and Public SafetyMinneapolis

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Minneapolis, MN

Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota’s Iranian community: Mixed emotions on US-Israel strike

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The local Iranian community in Minnesota is expressing mixed emotions following the recent joint U.S.-Israel strike on Iran.

Local reactions to the strike

What we know:

The strike resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to President Donald Trump and Iranian state media. Many Iranians in Minnesota feel this could lead to freedom for their country.

Nazanin Naferipoor shared that her sister in Iran was initially happy about the strike, believing it might bring about freedom. However, communication has been cut off since the strike began, leaving many worried about their loved ones.

The other side:

Hamid Kashani from the Minnesota Committee in Support of a Democratic Iran expressed mixed feelings about the strike. While he hopes for change, he is concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives.

Fazy Kowsari emphasized that the attack targeted the government, not the religion, and criticized the political motivations behind the strike.

Upcoming rally at Nicollet Mall

Why you should care:

A rally is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Nicollet Mall and 11th Street. Organizers view the U.S. strike as a rescue operation for Iranians held hostage by the regime, rather than an act of war.

PoliticsMinnesota

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