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John Thompson (Minnesota politician)

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John Thompson
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
from the 67A district
In office
January 5, 2021 – January 9, 2023
Preceded byTim Mahoney
Succeeded byLiz Lee
Personal details
BornChicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Independent (2021–2022)[a][b]

John Thompson is an American politician who served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives for the 67A district from 2021 to 2023. Elected in November 2020, he assumed office on January 5, 2021. Prior to seeking elected office, Thompson was an activist supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and directed a local social justice organization.[3][4]

Early life and education

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Thompson was born in Chicago, Illinois.[5] He attended Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.[6]

Career

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Thompson began his career as a machinist. He later worked in the Saint Paul Public Schools for 11 years.[6]

Activism

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Thompson was a friend of Philando Castile, a black man killed during a traffic stop by a Saint Anthony police officer in 2016, and became involved in activism with the Black Lives Matter movement during the aftermath of Castile's death.[7] He participated in several protests over issues of racial injustice. Thompson was also the director of Fight For Justice LLC, an advocacy organization in Minnesota.[4]

On August 15, 2020, Thompson led a controversial protest outside the home of Bob Kroll, the head of the Minneapolis police officer's union, and Liz Collin, a local television journalist, in Hugo, Minnesota. Protestors beat pinatas in the likenesses of Kroll and Collin. During his speech at the protest, Thompson said "You think we give a [expletive] about burning Hugo down?" and "[Expletive] Hugo." Days later, after Thompson's behavior drew widespread criticism, Thompson released a statement which included an apology.[8][9][10]

Minnesota House of Representatives

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Thompson was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in November 2020 and assumed office on January 5, 2021. He represented the 67A district that encompasses northwest Saint Paul and portions of Maplewood in the Lake Phalen area.[4]

Thompson was an outspoken member of the legislature for police reform measures during the 92nd Minnesota Legislature.[11] He proposed a $457 million bill with the aim of "ending system racism" in Minnesota by substantially increasing state spending for education, health care, and social service programs.[12] At the end of the legislative session in June 2020, he criticized a compromise proposal by Republican lawmakers and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and said that the governor should "show testicular fortitude" and not agree to what he considered a less-comprehensive change to policing and judicial systems.[11]

The DFL caucus expelled Thompson on September 14, 2021.[13] Despite remaining in the Minnesota state legislature, this decision resulted in Thompson being denied access to DFL party resources and the privilege of participating in DFL party meetings.[13] A statement released by the Minnesota DFL party following the DFL caucus decision described "credible reports of abuse and misconduct, and his failure to take responsibility" as the reason for Thompson's expulsion from the caucus.[13]

In 2022, Liz Lee, a Hmong-American resident of Saint Paul, challenged Thompson for the DFL nomination to the Minnesota House of Representatives' District 67A. Lee secured the DFL party endorsement at its March convention and defeated Thompson in the August primary with 89 percent of the vote to Thompson's 11 percent.[14]

Personal life

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Thompson is married and has three children. He developed a friendship with Philando Castile in 2005 when they worked together at local schools.[6]

In 2009, Thompson was accused of indecently exposing himself to a woman and to two children, though no charges were filed.[15] On July 21, 2021, a Hennepin County jury convicted Thompson for misdemeanor obstruction pertaining to a 2019 disturbance incident at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.[16] He was given a 30-day stayed sentence to avoid jail time if he did not commit another offense and was also ordered to pay a $200 fine and $78 fee.[17] On 13 October 2021, during a virtual court appearance, Thompson agreed to pay a $100 fine after the state of Minnesota agreed to suspend prosecuting his case for one year.[18] If he abides by the law, the case will be dismissed.[18]

Traffic stop and residency

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In July 2021, a Saint Paul Police Department sergeant conducted a traffic stop of Thompson's vehicle for the lack of a front license plate.[19] After presenting a Wisconsin state identification card, he was also cited for driving with a suspended license.[20] Thompson later stated that he was racially profiled and "got a ticket for driving while black".[21][22] Prior to the traffic stop, Thompson had said that he had resided in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for 18 years.[23] On 22 July 2021, the St Paul Police Department announced that following a brief conversation with Thompson, Thompson had apologized to the police sergeant he accused of racially profiling him.[24]

Domestic assault allegations

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In the aftermath of the traffic stop incident, news media reported that three different police departments had investigated a total of five domestic assault cases from 2003 to 2011 allegedly committed by Thompson.[25] Several state officials subsequently called on Thompson to resign from the legislature, including Governor Walz, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, and Democratic-Famer-Labor Party Chair Ken Martin. Thompson denied he had committed assault and said he did not intend to resign.[10]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Elected in 2020 as a member of the DFL, Effective September 15, 2021, Thompson served as an Independent after being expelled from the DFL caucus.[1]
  2. ^ However, he sought the DFL endorsement in 2022 and lost both the endorsement and the primary to Democrat Liz Lee.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Rep. John Thompson says he'll serve as an independent after House DFLers expel him". 15 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Index - Election Results".
  3. ^ "DFL House candidate faces backlash for his angry outburst at a Black Lives Matter protest". TwinCities.com. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
  4. ^ a b c "Rep. John Thompson (67A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  5. ^ "John Thompson (Minnesota)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  6. ^ a b c Pheifer, Pat (2017-09-04). "After Castile's death, John Thompson turned anguish into energy". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  7. ^ Kerr, Sarah; Cott, Emma; Nelson, Katie G.; Khavin, Dmitriy; Shum, Mike (5 June 2020). "Video: He Was Philando Castile's Friend. Now He's Running for Office". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  8. ^ Uren, Adam (18 August 2020). "Protesters condemned after they destroy piñata of WCCO's Liz Collin" Archived 2021-01-12 at the Wayback Machine. Bring Me the News.
  9. ^ Staff (17 August 2020). "No felony charges to be filed against House DFL candidate who spoke at Hugo protest" Archived 2021-01-12 at the Wayback Machine. Star Tribune. Retrieved on 19 August 2020.
  10. ^ a b Bakst, Brian; Montgomery, David (2021-07-13). "Key facts about state Rep. John Thompson's residency issues". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  11. ^ a b Orenstein, Walker (2021-06-29). "Why DFLers are pushing to have the state's police board take on more reform measures". MinnPost. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  12. ^ Callaghan, Peter (2021-03-22). "Bill putting $457 million toward 'ending systemic racism' is moving through the Minnesota House". MinnPost. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  13. ^ a b c "Minnesota DFL expels Rep. John Thompson from caucus". WCCO-AM. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  14. ^ Adwan, Noor (2022-08-09). "Liz Lee handily defeats John Thompson in primary to represent St. Paul's East Side". Sahan Journal. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
  15. ^ "Minnesota gov, other Dems call for embattled state lawmaker's resignation after abuse allegations surface". The Spectator. 18 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
  16. ^ Thiede, Dana; Lick, Val (July 21, 2021). "Rep. John Thompson guilty of obstruction in 2019 disturbance". KARE. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  17. ^ Steve Karnowski, Associated Press (21 July 2021). "Minnesota House speaker defers action on embattled lawmaker". The Courier. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  18. ^ a b "Rep. John Thompson Agrees To Pay Fine In Traffic Stop Case". WCCO. 2021-10-13. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  19. ^ "Where did John Thompson live when he was elected to the Legislature? MN or WI?". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  20. ^ "Key facts about state Rep. John Thompson's residency issues". MPR News. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  21. ^ Lyden, Tom (2021-07-08). "State rep claims he was racially profiled, denies suspended license". FOX 9. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  22. ^ "'I Got A Ticket For Driving While Black': Video Released Showing Rep. John Thompson's Traffic Stop". 2021-07-13. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  23. ^ "St. Paul police chief disputes DFL Rep. John Thompson's racial profiling claim". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  24. ^ "Rep. John Thompson Agrees To Pay Fine In Traffic Stop Case". WCCO. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  25. ^ Montemayor, Stephen. Gov. Tim Walz repeats his insistence that Rep. John Thompson resign, Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 19, 2021.

Further reading

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