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By Hollie Silverman and Dan Gooding
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Six federal prosecutors resigned in Minnesota on Tuesday, The New York Times reported, citing people with knowledge of their decision.
The resignations came as the Department of Justice (DOJ) pushes for an investigation into Renee Good's widow, while stalling on the investigation into the ICE agent who shot and killed her, the sources told the Times.
One of those prosecutors was identified by the Minnesota Star Tribune as Joe Thompson, a U.S. Attorney who prosecuted Minnesota fraud*.* Thompson resigned along with other senior members, the report said.
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The Department of Justice told Newsweek that ICE and the FBI were both carrying out investigations into Good's death. A spokesperson did not answer questions seeking confirmation of the prosecutors' resignations.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has heavily backed the federal agent, identified as Jonathan Ross, for his actions last Wednesday, arguing that Good and others in the Minneapolis neighborhood at the time were agitators impeding agents in their immigration enforcement efforts.
Those efforts were spurred by ongoing investigations and accusations of fraud allegedly committed by Somalis in the Twin Cities, an investigation in which Thompson was heavily involved.
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Trump's US Attorney Joe Thompson, Who Led Minnesota Fraud Probe, Resigns: What We Know
The Times reported that Thompson, 47, a career prosecutor, resigned after objecting to DOJ efforts to investigate Good's wife, Becca Good, and her actions following the fatal shooting less than a week ago. He also disagreed with the refusal to investigate Ross' actions, the outlet reported.
Earlier Tuesday, there were reports of Thompson's departure with no obvious reason for the decision, given the heightened interest in the fraud case he had overseen. As the hours went by, news emerged of two other resignations, then five.
The DOJ had already opted not to open a civil rights investigation into the use of deadly force, prompting career prosecutors in Washington, D.C., to resign, MS Now reported on Monday.
The focus has instead been on the Goods' alleged affiliations with anti-ICE groups, which have been monitoring and documenting federal activity in Minnesota, and whether this had any influence on the events leading up to the mother's death.
In the hours following the shooting, which saw Good shot in the head in her car while parked across a residential street, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and others within the administration branded Good a "domestic terrorist" and said she had weaponized her vehicle against agents.
That rhetoric has been criticized, particularly when there has been little to no time to investigate the circumstances. Video footage of the shooting has been reviewed, with no definitive conclusion on what transpired.
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What People Are Saying
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, in a statement shared with Newsweek: “There is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, on X: "Joe is a principled public servant who spent more than a decade achieving justice for Minnesotans. This is a huge loss for our state. It’s also the latest sign Trump is pushing nonpartisan career professionals out of the justice department, replacing them with his sycophants."
Minnesota State Representative Kristin Robbins, a Republican, on X: "Our state has been blessed to have First US Attorney Joe Thompson leading the fraud prosecutions in Minnesota for the last 7 years! It is a tremendous loss that he is stepping down. Thank you for your service!"
Nicholas Bagley, a law professor at the University of Michigan Law, on X: "Joe Thompson was the guy leading the inquiry into all the (very real!) fraud that the Trump administration claims to care so much about. Good luck with getting convictions in those fraud cases now that the prosecutors investigating them have quit."
What Happens Next
The DOJ said other agencies were investigating the circumstances surrounding Good's death. Meanwhile, Minnesota is suing the Trump administration, calling for federal agents to leave the state.
Update 1/13/26, 3:17 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 1/13/26, 4:11 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Department of Justice.
Correction 2/7/26, 1:10 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Minnesota State Representative Kristin Robbins' last name.
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