An LGBTQ activist charged in July with five felony counts of possession of child porn has claimed that he is married to a “high-ranking member of Governor Walz’s cabinet.”
However, that’s not quite the case.
Ryan Weyandt (aka Ryan A. W. Hainlin), who resigned last year from his CEO position with the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, made the claim in a recent civil lawsuit that is unrelated to his pending criminal charges.
In that civil lawsuit, Weyandt wrote a document which accused Fairview Health Services of “intentionally or recklessly [causing] severe emotional distress to [Weyandt] and his husband, who is a high-ranking member of Governor Walz’s cabinet.”
While Weyandt’s husband, Michael Hainlin, technically serves in Walz’s state government, he is far from a “high-ranking member” of the cabinet. Michael works as an executive assistant in Walz’s Minnesota Information Technology Services (MNIT) department, according to state records.
Given his title, Michael appears to be a rank-and-file civil servant who works in one of the many agencies that make up state government.
In June, Weyandt launched a Substack in which he directly addresses his departure from the LGBTQ+ real estate group he co-founded. His writings contain lengthy explanations about his actions in relation to the organization as well as criticism of its personnel.
The group filed a civil case against Weyandt earlier this year over control of the non-profit’s domains and bank accounts. The case has a settlement conference scheduled for Nov. 10.
Weyandt also posted in June that he and his husband were moving out of the United States in the wake of the murders of Melissa Hortman and her husband. The LGBTQ activist, who said he and Michael “knew and loved” the Hortmans, claimed relocation became “urgent” and the pair have “secured permanent residency in a Western European democracy.”
The criminal charges against Weyandt indicated that investigators requested a warrant for his arrest because Weyandt had listed his Apple Valley home for sale and had been posting online about leaving the country.
In a more recent post, Weyandt complained about the impact his criminal charges have had on his husband.
Weyandt indicated in the latest post that he has engaged the services of professionals to deal with headlines that pop up when his name is searched online. He said he wants “to ensure that over time, more complete and balanced parts of my story are visible as well.”
“I would also be remiss not to note my deep disappointment in the way some ‘news’ outlets have covered these matters. Misinformation has been published, including the false suggestion that the civil matter has been influenced in any way by the criminal matter,” he wrote.
The LGBTQ activist also referenced “sobriety” and indicated that he is working on his own consulting business and is in the process of writing a memoir he hopes to submit soon to “world-renowned” publishing houses.
In 2022, Weyandt donated $1,000 to DFL State Sen. Erin Maye Quade’s campaign.
Weyandt has been out of custody on $150,000 bail in the child porn case. His next court appearance in that case is scheduled for Nov. 4. Alpha News reached out to Weyandt and Walz’s office but did not receive a response.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
