MN DFL Chair Calls Out Fellow Democrat After Traffic Stop

ST. PAUL, MN — Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chairman Ken Martin said he is "disappointed" by Rep. John Thompson, a state representative who claimed that St. Paul police racially profiled him during a recent traffic stop.

"Nobody is above the law, including our elected officials," Martin said in a statement Sunday.

"We expect all of our elected officials, regardless of party, to not only follow the law, but to hold themselves to the highest standards. Whether they like it or not, their words, actions, and behavior are going to be scrutinized by the public. As such it is important for people in positions of power and influence to model the type of behavior we expect from everyone. Representative John Thompson fell short of that standard, and I am disappointed by his recent actions."

Thompson, who is Black, was pulled over and cited July 4, the Star Tribune reports.

Police said they pulled Thompson over because his car did not have a front license plate. Thompson was also driving with a suspended license, authorities said.

"I thought we weren't doing pretextual stops in this state. But we are," Thompson told a crowd outside of the governor's mansion July 6 during an event remembering the police shooting death of his friend, Philando Castile.

Days after the lawmaker's comments, St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell publicly demanded an apology from Thompson.

"This stop, made at about 1:20 in the morning, had absolutely nothing to do with the driver’s race," Axtell said on Facebook Friday.

"The driver, an elected official who does not dispute driving without a front license plate, owes our sergeant an apology."

This wasn't the first time Thompson has caused controversy with his public comments. In August, Thompson was recorded using expletives and talking about "burning Hugo down" during a protest outside of the home of former Minneapolis police union president Bob Kroll.