Minnesota’s Republican delegation wants Congress to investigate Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office as murder charges against a Minnesota state trooper are called into question.
Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach led the effort to send a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan asking him to review the charges and investigate Moriarty’s office.
Congresswoman Fischbach was a guest on Liz Collin Reports this week.
“I think we all know that this prosecution is politically motivated, particularly after the fact that she (Moriarty) had experts that said that he was justified, and she completely ignored them and filed the complaint anyway. We need to stop the persecution, the attack on law enforcement. This is the start. I don’t feel that the authorities in Minnesota will do that. So, we need to take it upon ourselves to have a look at it here at the federal level, because it’s just wrong,” she said.
Fischbach is also an attorney and her district covers western Minnesota, a politically conservative area where she says there is a lot of support for law enforcement.
“We have to speak up. We have to be loud voices because those who are anti-law enforcement, the defund the police movement, all of those folks, we need to drown them out and we need to show our law enforcement that we support them,” Fischbach said.
She pointed to the loss of Pope County Deputy Josh Owen in her area and the deaths of two Burnsville police officers and a fire medic as recent tragedies.
“In addition to that, these ridiculous prosecutions that we are seeing now … we need to have their backs because they have our backs,” she added.
Three trainers from the State Patrol testified to a grand jury and have signed sworn declarations stating that Trooper Ryan Londregan followed his training during the July 2023 traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle, Ricky Cobb, a convicted felon, ignored police commands and took off in his vehicle, dragging another trooper. Trooper Londregan responded with deadly force.
In addition, a use of force expert for the prosecution said Londregan “committed no crime,” according to a court document filed last month by Londregan’s attorneys.
Still, Moriarty charged Trooper Londregan with murder, assault, and manslaughter.
“It is the weaponization of government against these law enforcement officers. They are doing their job and they saw their fellow trooper being dragged. His life was in danger, and they absolutely acted the way they should have to make sure that his life was safe. I find it repulsive that these prosecutors are going after law enforcement officers instead of the criminals. Let’s not forget, this was a person who was breaking the law, a criminal,” she added.
The congresswoman also weighed in on the prosecution of the four police officers connected to George Floyd’s death nearly four years ago after the recent release of “The Fall of Minneapolis.”
“I did see The Fall of Minneapolis and I appreciated it. It was incredibly enlightening to see what was really going on. I honestly think that that needs to be revisited. Those cases need to be revisited,” she said.
“It only points to the prosecution attacking the law enforcement profession,” Fischbach added.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association has sent two letters to Gov. Tim Walz asking him to step in and remove Londregan’s case from Moriarty’s office.
“I find it appalling that the governor has not addressed this. He has had weeks and weeks to do this … and if it is going to be turned over to (Attorney General) Ellison, he needs to do the right thing and he needs to drop those charges,” she said.
The next hearing in Trooper Londregan’s case is scheduled for April 29 at 9 a.m. His attorney will argue to dismiss the charges. Minnesota’s largest law enforcement organization is asking the public to be there to show up and support the trooper on that date. Fischbach believes it will help to turn the tide.
“It will show Trooper Londregan that he is not alone. I think that that show of support is important. We have to make sure that we are showing our disappointment and our opposition to what they are doing to these law enforcement officers,” she said.
Liz Collin
Liz Collin has been a truth-teller for 20 years as a multi-Emmy-Award-winning reporter and anchor. Liz is a Worthington, Minnesota native who lives in the suburbs with her husband, son and loyal lab.
