Top fraud prosecutor Joe Thompson, five others quit Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office amid ICE‑widow probe dispute
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson — the office’s top fraud prosecutor who led high‑profile cases including Feeding Our Future and major Medicaid/housing fraud probes — resigned along with five other assistant U.S. attorneys after internal pressure from Washington to open a criminal investigation into the widow of an ICE shooting victim that Thompson and colleagues deemed improper. The departures, which Fox 9 named Melinda Williams, Harry Jacobs and Thomas Calhoun‑Lopez among those leaving, have raised concerns about politicization, drawn criticism from Gov. Tim Walz, and could force reassignments or delays in key fraud prosecutions.
📌 Key Facts
- First Assistant U.S. Attorney and top federal fraud prosecutor Joe Thompson has resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota; a total of six prosecutors have resigned or are in the process of leaving the office.
- Other departing assistant U.S. attorneys include Melinda Williams, Harry Jacobs and Thomas Calhoun‑Lopez, with at least some reports saying additional AUSAs have also left.
- Thompson was the public face of high‑profile fraud prosecutions in Minnesota—most notably Feeding Our Future—and has led major fraud dockets including Medicaid and other program‑integrity probes involving Twin Cities providers; he was appointed acting U.S. Attorney earlier this year by President Donald Trump.
- Multiple outlets report the immediate cause of the resignations was internal pressure from Washington to open a criminal investigation into the widow of an ICE shooting victim; Thompson and other prosecutors viewed that pressure as improper and refused to pursue the probe.
- The departures have produced concerns about politicization and broader turmoil inside the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, with Gov. Tim Walz calling Thompson a “principled public servant” and criticizing firings or removals of career DOJ professionals, and defense lawyers and remaining line prosecutors voicing alarm.
- U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen’s office has indicated the resignations may force reassignments or delays on major cases and follow‑ons to investigations such as Feeding Our Future, Medicaid/Housing Stabilization fraud and other program‑integrity prosecutions tied to the ongoing Minnesota fraud crackdown and Operation Metro Surge.
📊 Relevant Data
In public benefits fraud cases in Minnesota from 2018-2025, 78.1% of the 89 defendants were Somali or Somali-American, despite Somalis comprising approximately 2% of the state's population, indicating significant overrepresentation.
Per capita involvement in detected public benefits fraud cases in Minnesota from 2018-2025 is estimated at 0.058%–0.1% among the Somali population (approximately 70 out of 52,000–120,000 individuals), compared to near-zero baseline for non-Somalis in similar cases.
The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent on January 7, 2026, occurred during 'Operation Metro Surge,' a large-scale ICE operation in Minneapolis targeting fraud and criminal activity, particularly within the Somali community, with over 2,000 federal agents deployed.
What We Know About the Fatal ICE Shooting in Minneapolis — The New York Times
The ICE surge in Minnesota, including the operation during which Renee Good was shot, was initiated in response to allegations of widespread welfare fraud involving Somali immigrants, with federal authorities aiming to arrest fraudsters and remove criminal non-citizens.
Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three, was shot in the head through her car window by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, with conflicting accounts: federal officials claim self-defense after she allegedly tried to run over the agent, while state officials dispute this as propaganda.
Killing of Renee Good — Wikipedia
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Confirms that a total of six prosecutors, including First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, have resigned or are in the process of leaving the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office.
- Names additional departing AUSAs beyond those previously reported and clarifies which high‑profile fraud and corruption dockets they have been leading.
- Adds detailed internal context that the breaking point was pressure from Washington to open a criminal investigation into the widow of an ICE shooting victim, which Thompson and others viewed as improper and refused to pursue.
- Reports specific internal reactions, including U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen’s stance, and how the resignations may force reassignments or delays in major cases such as Feeding Our Future follow‑ons, Medicaid/Housing Stabilization fraud, and other program‑integrity prosecutions.
- Highlights concern from defense lawyers and some remaining line prosecutors that the office is being politicized in the middle of the broader Minnesota fraud crackdown and Operation Metro Surge fallout.
- Alpha News frames Thompson’s resignation as tied to internal pressure to pursue an investigation into the widow of an ICE shooting victim, adding detail on the internal dispute that precipitated his exit.
- The article underscores that multiple assistant U.S. attorneys have also left the office, suggesting broader turmoil inside the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, not just a single resignation.
- It reiterates Thompson’s central role leading fraud prosecutions in Minnesota, particularly high‑profile cases like Feeding Our Future and the Medicaid program probes that directly involve Twin Cities providers.
- FOX 9 confirms that First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson has resigned from the Justice Department/U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota, along with AUSAs Melinda Williams, Harry Jacobs and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez.
- The article notes that Thompson was the public face of the Feeding Our Future prosecution and was appointed by President Donald Trump as acting U.S. Attorney earlier this year.
- Gov. Tim Walz publicly responded, calling Thompson a 'principled public servant,' labeling the loss 'huge' for Minnesota, and accusing Trump of pushing nonpartisan career professionals out of DOJ and replacing them with 'sycophants.'