Democrat Rep. John Thompson, who has a history of abuse allegations and unethical behavior, will represent the Minnesota House at the Minnesota State Fair, a decision Republicans are condemning.
Thompson is scheduled to appear at the Minnesota House of Representatives’ booth for two hours on Monday, August 30. The booth is available for fairgoers to meet their state lawmakers and “weigh in on hot political topics,” according to a description of the booth from the Minnesota Legislature.
However, Republican Rep. Marion O’Neill has called for Thompson’s removal from the state fair booth, citing “credible and documented” allegations of domestic violence.
Rep. @MarionONeill1 is calling on @melissahortman to remove Rep. John Thompson from the MN State Fair House of Reps schedule.
"If he's unfit to serve in the MN House, certainly he's unfit to represent the legislature at the MN State Fair."
Full Statement ⬇️ #mnleg #mngop pic.twitter.com/TXlvpuZFVN
— MN House Republicans (@mnhousegop) August 24, 2021
Thompson has been accused of strangulation, exposing himself to children, and “slanderous outbursts” toward other representatives.
This past July, Democratic leaders, including Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, called on Thompson to resign after it became clear that he may not even live in the district he represents.
Thompson was pulled over for a minor traffic violation in the beginning of July, and he presented a Wisconsin driver’s license to the officer. Video of the encounter was released, in which Thompson repeatedly called the officer a racist and claimed he was being racially profiled.
Shortly after the incident, reports came out about Thompson’s history of domestic abuse allegations, which Alpha News reported on over a year ago when the state legislator gained notoriety for a profanity-laden speech to teenage girls and threats to burn down a neighborhood in Hugo, Minnesota.
Almost a year later, Thompson claimed the reports of abuse were “doctored” and refused to resign, despite top Democratic leaders demanding he leave his position as a state lawmaker.
No actions have been taken regarding Thompson’s ongoing position as a representative.
“It’s unacceptable that Speaker Hortman would allow Rep. Thompson to represent the Minnesota House at the state fair, and she should immediately take steps to remove him from the schedule,” O’Neill said in a statement.
“If he’s unfit to serve in the Minnesota House, certainly he’s unfit to represent the Legislature at the Minnesota State Fair,” she continued.
Rose Williams
Rose Williams is an assistant editor for Alpha News.
