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The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division has launched an investigation into the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office in Minnesota over a recently announced policy of considering race when offering plea deals.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon announced the investigation Friday, sharing the official letter on X. The letter, also signed by Acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, informed Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty that federal officials will examine whether her office has "engaged in a pattern or practice of depriving persons of rights, privileges or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States."
The investigation centers on how Moriarty adopted "Negotiations Policy for Cases Involving Adult Defendants," which advises prosecutors to factor “racial identity” into their plea deals. The policy states prosecutors "should be identifying and addressing racial disparities at decision points, as appropriate."
The DOJ letter said the inquiry will focus on “whether HCAO engages in illegal consideration of race in its prosecutorial decision-making.” The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section will be overseeing the investigation and will contact Moriarty "shortly to set up a mutually agreeable date and time to discuss the parameters of this investigation.”
Moriarty, who was elected in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the unrest that followed, was previously a public defender and has received financial backing from political organizations tied to Democratic donor George Soros. She took office in January 2023 and pledged to hold police accountable in the community where Floyd died, a report by Fox News noted.
Moriarty has drawn criticism in recent months, including for her office’s decision not to charge a staffer for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who was allegedly caught vandalizing numerous Tesla vehicles.
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