Democrats Expel Rep. John Thompson From DFL Caucus

SAINT PAUL, MN — Democrats in the Minnesota House of Representatives Tuesday night voted to expect Rep. John Thompson from the DFL Caucus. The embattled Democrat from St. Paul has been under fire from members of his own party for various reasons this summer.

"Rep. Thompson's actions, credible reports of abuse and misconduct, and his failure to take responsibility remain unacceptable for a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives," a statement from DFL House leaders read.

"It would be best for Rep. Thompson, his family, and the institution for him to resign. In the absence of a resignation, the Minnesota House DFL has voted to remove Rep. Thompson from the caucus."

In July, Thompson was pulled over in a traffic stop and was cited for not having an active Minnesota driver's license. Thompson presented the officer with a Wisconsin license, which drew questions from the public about the St. Paul representative's residence.

Weeks later, FOX 9 reported that it uncovered four cases of domestic violence involving Thompson. Following that report, Gov. Tim Walz and other top state Democrats called on Thompson to resign. Thompson said he would not resign.

Later in July, Thompson was found guilty of misdemeanor obstruction by a Hennepin County jury.

On Tuesday, Thompson published a statement on Facebook that indicated he will not resign.

Thompson will remain a lawmaker and will continue to receive a salary unless he resigns or is expelled by the entire legislature, KSTP's Tom Hauser reports.