From Fox News: The lead federal prosecutor who helped uncover massive fraud in Minnesota has resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to media reports.
Joe Thompson served as the acting U.S. Attorney of Minnesota after being appointed by President Donald Trump in May 2025. He led the office until Daniel Rosen took over as U.S. attorney in October.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to represent the United States and this office,” Thompson, 47, wrote in an email obtained by the Minnesota Star Tribune.
He did not disclose the reason for his departure or what he plans to do next.
According to the report, Thompson was the lead prosecutor that helped uncover the massive $250 million Feeding Our Future food fraud case tied to the state’s Somali community, which has resulted in dozens of people being indicted in the scheme.
In a separate report, the New York Times said Thompson was only one of SIX federal prosecutors who resigned. From the New York Times:
Six federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned on Tuesday over the Justice Department’s push to investigate the widow of a woman killed by an ICE agent and the department’s reluctance to investigate the shooter, according to people with knowledge of their decision.
Joseph H. Thompson, who was second in command at the U.S. attorney’s office and oversaw a sprawling fraud investigation that has roiled Minnesota’s political landscape, was among those who quit on Tuesday, according to three people with knowledge of the decision.
Mr. Thompson’s resignation came after senior Justice Department officials pressed for a criminal investigation into the actions of the widow of Renee Nicole Good, the Minneapolis woman killed by an ICE agent on Wednesday.
Mr. Thompson, 47, a career prosecutor, objected to that approach, as well as to the Justice Department’s refusal to include state officials in investigating whether the shooting itself was lawful, the people familiar with his decision said.
The New York Times also provided the names of the other prosecutors who resigned:
The other senior career prosecutors who resigned include Harry Jacobs, Melinda Williams and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez. Mr. Jacobs had been Mr. Thompson’s deputy overseeing the fraud investigation, which began in 2022. Mr. Calhoun-Lopez was the chief of the violent and major crimes unit.
Breaking News: Three Minnesota federal prosecutors resigned over the Justice Department’s push to investigate the wife of Renee Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent. The Justice Department sought to examine her supposed ties to activist groups.
https://t.co/0nyiX1wCON— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 13, 2026
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