With latest Minnesota fraud case looming, lead prosecutors have quit

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The 4 prosecutors who spearheaded a $250 cardinal Minnesota fraud lawsuit volition not beryllium successful tribunal astatine the adjacent proceedings due to the fact that they've each near the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota successful caller days, on with much than a twelve others successful a increasing question of resignations.

The departures person near the already-diminished bureau with arsenic fewer arsenic 17 adjunct U.S. attorneys, according to sources wrong the bureau — down from 70 during the Biden administration.

Former prosecutors Joe Thompson, Harry Jacobs, Daniel Bobier and Matthew Ebert — the 4 attorneys who had been starring the $250 cardinal Feeding Our Future fraud case, which was the archetypal footwear to driblet successful the monolithic Minnesota fraud scandal — person handed disconnected the prosecution to comparative newcomers to the office.

Harry Jacobs, who was precocious named caput of the office's transgression division, was besides progressive successful the prosecution of Vance Boelter, the antheral accused of assassinating erstwhile Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her hubby Mark.

Sources adjacent to the attorneys who near person cited a assortment of factors for the unit shakeup, including caseload management, structural issues wrong the office, the Trump administration's power connected the office, and concerns related to Operation Metro Surge — the ongoing immigration enforcement operation successful the Twin Cities that has led to thousands of arrests arsenic good arsenic repeated clashes with protesters, 2 of whom were killed by federal agents.

"The wide exodus we're seeing successful Minnesota is alarming," said Stacey Young, laminitis of Justice Connection, a Washington, D.C.-based enactment of erstwhile Justice Department employees.

"We should each wage attraction to wherefore immoderate of the state's apical national prosecutors chose to permission -- it had thing to bash with governmental disagreement; rather, this medication asked them to interruption their ineligible and ethical responsibilities, and they believed the exit was their lone option," Young said. "The nonaccomplishment of organization cognition and expertise volition destabilize the U.S. Attorney's office, leaving Minnesotans' information and rights little protected."

The office's ranks were depleted adjacent earlier Operation Metro Surge. By the clip Daniel Rosen was sworn successful arsenic U.S. lawyer successful October 2025, the fig of prosecutors had already dropped to little than 40, erstwhile and existent officials archer CBS News. They cited retirements and changes made by the Trump administration, including cuts related to the Department of Government Efficiency, known arsenic DOGE.

The Justice Department has sought to buttress Minnesota's prosecutorial ranks with prosecutors from neighboring districts, including from Michigan, arsenic good arsenic the Department of Homeland Security and subject attorneys. But that has not ever worked retired well. A DHS lawyer moving successful Minnesota connected Tuesday told a justice "this occupation sucks" and asked to beryllium held successful contempt "so that I tin person a afloat 24 hours of sleep." She was removed from the Minnesota duty connected Wednesday.

The Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office successful Detroit declined to remark erstwhile asked however galore attorneys had been dispatched from the Eastern District of Michigan.

So far, national prosecutors successful Minnesota person convicted 62 radical successful transportation to the scandal, which tops the database of the nation's astir costly COVID-era fraud sprees. Federal prosecutors estimation payer losses transcend $1 billion.

Feeding Our Future was the archetypal scheme: a nonprofit enactment that tricked authorities and national officials into paying them to service nutrient to thousands of bare children but ne'er provided the meals. That radical allegedly raked successful $250 million.

The last proceedings of those charged successful the strategy is scheduled for April. Ikram Yusuf Mohamed, Suleman Yusuf Mohamed, Aisha Hassan Hussein, Sahra Sharif Osman, Shakur Abdinur Abdisalam, Fadumo Mohamed Yusuf and Gandi Yusuf Mohamed look charges of conspiracy, ligament fraud, wealth laundering and bribery.

The 2 prosecutors present starring the lawsuit are Rebecca Kline and Matthew Murphy. Both prosecutors joined the bureau successful January 2024, aft moving successful backstage practice, according to their LinkedIn pages.

Additional fraud cases person since travel into focus. In August, authorities officials unopen down a lodging programme designed to assistance seniors and radical with disabilities, citing "large-scale fraud." In September, prosecutors charged 8 radical with defrauding the programme by enrolling arsenic providers and submitting millions successful "fake and inflated bills."

Joe Thompson, the erstwhile archetypal Assistant U.S. Attorney who became the nationalist look announcing the indictments, made quality earlier his departure erstwhile helium said successful December that national prosecutors were investigating astir $18 cardinal spent connected societal programs successful Minnesota since 2018. CBS News asked however overmuch they judge was fraud, and they said they've "seen much reddish flags than morganatic providers." Thompson suggested fractional of the $18 cardinal oregon much could beryllium fraudulent.

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