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Dear Neighbors,
This week, my colleague Rep. Eric Lucero, formally filed an ethics complaint in the Minnesota House of Representatives against Rep. John Thompson. The complaint is regarding Thompson’s conduct during a June 19 House floor session in which he repeatedly interrupted and attacked Rep. Lucero, violating the rules of the House and ended his tirade by saying “I know you’re a racist!”.
Thompson is back in the news this week after he was stopped by police in his district for driving without a front license plate, and subsequently was cited for driving with a suspended license. After the stop, he claimed he was only stopped because he was black, a claim that was disputed by the St. Paul Police Chief, who had viewed the body camera footage and spoke to the officer who made the stop and said the stop was “by the books”.
Following the traffic stop, the Star Tribune reported that Rep. Thompson has never held a Minnesota driver’s license, despite reportedly moving to St. Paul from Wisconsin 18 years ago. Minnesota law requires residents to obtain a Minnesota driver’s license within 60 days of moving to the state.
Additionally, his failure to get a license in Minnesota raises questions about where he actually lives meaning that his election certificate could be null and void. Public records show that his Wisconsin license was last renewed in November of 2020 – the very same month he was elected to the Minnesota State Legislature.
There are many questions left unanswered from this incident and I hope additional information will be revealed in the days and weeks ahead. What’s clear is that legislators serve the people they were elected to represent and should be held to a high standard. Stay tuned as updates become available.
Staying in Touch
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me to share your thoughts, questions, and concerns as it relates to state government. I can be reached at 651-296-4229 or via email at rep.glenn.gruenhagen@house.mn.
Have a great day,
Glenn
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