Where is our Attorney General?

As violent crime continues at unacceptable levels in our state, we need leaders who are willing to put us on their shoulders and fight for our collective safety. Our Governor, the Commissioner of Public Safety, many of our prosecutors and judges, and many prominent mayors and other elected officials have been woeful in their response to crime. 

None of them can compare to our “Top Cop” however. Attorney General Keith Ellison is by virtue of his position the lead law enforcement official in the State. We should be able to look to him for leadership and strategies to address the level of violence that is tearing us apart. He should be building up and supporting the pieces of the criminal justice system, so they work efficiently and effectively. He should be the system’s loudest advocate. Instead, he continues to use his position to undermine and destroy public safety.

Case in point. This past Saturday, during a period when far too many violent offenders are being returned to our streets to continue the cycle of violence, Mr. Ellison was the keynote speaker at the fundraising Gala for the Minnesota Freedom Fund. 

The Freedom Fund is an organization formed specifically to bail offenders out of jail. Their records show they took in some $41 million dollars in 2020. Their record on public safety is not as impressive. See a list of offenders the group has bailed out who have gone on to commit more violence. Most problematic is the organization’s unwillingness to conduct any type of evaluation on safety before posting bail — evidenced boldly in this quote from a Freedom Fund employee: 

“I often don’t even look at a charge when I bail someone out.”

The criminal justice system only works when balanced — hence the image of scales has become synonymous with justice. The courts have mechanisms in place to establish bail at a level that ensures public safety and re-appearance, while also considering the ability of defendants to post bail. The Freedom Fund undermines that entire process by negating the thoughtful application of bail on a case-by-case basis. The last person in our state who should be advocating for and supporting actions that undermine our safety is our Attorney General.

We need an Attorney General who is committed to public safety.  Keith Ellison has proven he more committed to activism.