A Minnesota senator has announced he will step down—at least temporarily—from his chairmanship of a Senate ethics committee following revelations that he’s helped steer millions in state funding to an organization tied to a former legal client.
Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, said on Monday that he’s asked the Senate Ethics Subcommittee for an advisory opinion on whether his recent representation of a community activist who lives and works in Champion’s district represents a conflict of interest in his work at the legislature.
The legislative work in question includes a bill that Champion introduced late last month that would appropriate $1 million to the organization “21 Days of Peace.” That organization is led by Rev. Jerry McAfee, who raised eyebrows during George Floyd’s 2020 funeral when he gave a shout out to Minneapolis gangs.
“I understand that questions have been raised about a potential conflict of interest regarding my work as a Senator and a private attorney,” Champion said. “Out of an abundance of caution, I have asked the Senate Ethics Subcommittee for an advisory opinion.” During that process, Champion said, he will “temporarily step aside” from his role as ethics committee chair “until this situation is resolved.”
On Friday, the Minnesota Reformer first reported the ties between that bill, SF2978, and legal representation that Champion has provided for one of the nonprofit organizations McAfee leads.
According to the Reformer, Champion, an attorney, “represented McAfee and his nonprofit Salem Inc. in four court cases involving nonpayment of mortgages on multiple Minneapolis properties, totaling roughly half a million dollars.”
On April 2, McAfee was invited by Champion to offer testimony on the bill that proposes to provide the $1 million grant to 21 Days of Peace, which McAfee describes as a violence prevention group. During that committee hearing, McAfee told legislators “north Minneapolis is experiencing a 10-year low in crime,” which he attributed partly to the work of organizations like his.
Champion was also the chief author of legislation two years ago that appropriated $3 million in grants to McAfee’s organization.
In response, the Republican Party of Minnesota on Friday called for Champion’s resignation.
“The recent revelations that Senate President Bobby Joe Champion steered millions in taxpayer dollars to a former legal client raise serious ethical red flags and demand immediate accountability,” Minnesota GOP Chair Alex Plechash said in a statement. “Minnesotans deserve elected leaders who serve the public interest—not their own networks.”
McAfee’s 21 Days of Peace organization has come under scrutiny in recent weeks. Last month, Minneapolis took action to rescind $640,000 in funding it had intended to allocate to 21 Days of Peace.
The previous month, McAfee disrupted a Minneapolis City Council meeting and chastised council members for a proposal to move some violence prevention work to Hennepin County.
Also last month, Alpha News reported that two of McAfee’s violence interrupters were charged with weapons offenses after an exchange of gunfire in north Minneapolis.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
