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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — In a statement posted on social media Sunday, a lawyer representing Rep. John Thompson says Thompson “challenges the authenticity of the police reports” accusing the state representative of domestic violence.
Gov. Tim Walz and leaders from Minnesota’s DFL and GOP parties called for Thompson’s resignation Saturday after reports emerged of domestic assault allegations going as far back as 2003.
Thompson’s attorney, Jordan Kushner, told WCCO Saturday the allegations are false, saying Thompson hasn’t been found guilty on any domestic violence charges. He also said Thompson does not plan to resign.
“The police reports are a product of the campaign to silence an American African man who speaks out against powerful and abusive interests, and not the product of any effort to uncover truth,” Kushner wrote in a Facebook post Sunday.
Thompson was charged with domestic assault twice in the 2000s in separate incidents. He was not convicted of either charge. Police reports show additional allegations of domestic violence, but in those instances, charges were never filed.
“Mr. Thompson and his wife – the only person whom Mr. Thompson would have been with at the times of the incidents – categorically deny that any of the inflammatory allegations (including but not limited to choking anyone or exposing himself) ever occurred,” Kushner wrote.
Thompson has come under scrutiny following a July 4 traffic stop in St. Paul, which he claimed was for “driving while Black.” Thompson showed a suspended Wisconsin driver’s license during that stop, though he later resolved the issue and his driving privileges were reinstated.
The stop spurred questions about Thompson’s residency, as the address listed on his July 4 ticket is in St. Paul, but not in his district.
Thompson was one of the leading voices for police reform following the death of his friend Philando Castile, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights in 2016.
Below is Kushner’s full statement:
Mr. Thompson challenges the authenticity of the police reports that have been circulated to the press. Mr. Thompson and his wife – the only person whom Mr. Thompson would have been with at the times of the incidents – categorically deny that any of the inflammatory allegations (including but not limited to choking anyone or exposing himself) ever occurred. Mr. Thompson’s wife further does not recall and does not believe she ever made such allegations. They have been together as a couple for more than twenty years, have worked through issues earlier in their relationship, and have a solid marriage. It is my understanding that the purported police reports were provided to reporters by persons associated with law enforcement groups. These are likely the same groups that have been constantly and vigorously waging a smear campaign against Mr. Thompson since his speech in Hugo, MN in August 2020 (11 months ago). If these police reports existed in their current form, it is unfathomable that the many people digging into Mr. Thompson’s past would not have found those police reports before the November election much less during the ensuing months. The police reports are a product of the campaign to silence an American African man who speaks out against powerful and abusive interests, and not the product of any effort to uncover truth.
Source: CBS Minnesota
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