Kash Patel warns elected officers aren’t exempt as DOJ subpoenas Walz, Frey

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FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned his company is finishing up President Donald Trump ’s mandate to implement the legislation completely, warning that elected officers aren't exempt from federal scrutiny, following the Justice Division's grand jury subpoenas Tuesday to 5 Minnesota authorities workplaces.

"Nobody – elected official, non-public citizen or in any other case – will get to impede and hinder a legislation enforcement investigation. Nobody," he mentioned on "Hannity."

Patel's remarks come after the Justice Department sent grand jury subpoenas to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz , Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and a number of different state officers as a part of a probe into whether or not they conspired to impede federal immigration enforcement operations .

The subpoenas, served by the FBI, search data and communications tied to the alleged effort.

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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz are on the middle of a federal probe into impeding legislation enforcement. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg by way of Getty Pictures; Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune by way of Getty Pictures)

The investigation follows a significant escalation in immigration enforcement operations throughout the Twin Cities ordered by the Trump administration. Roughly 3,000 federal immigration officers have been deployed – a large pressure in a area the place the Minneapolis Police Division has solely about 600 officers.

The probe additionally comes within the aftermath of the Jan. 7 capturing demise of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. Her demise sparked widespread protests throughout Minnesota, resulting in a number of clashes between demonstrators and legislation enforcement.

High Democratic leaders within the state, like Walz and Frey, have strongly opposed the enforcement operations that swept throughout their state. Gov. Walz at one level declared the state was at " war against the federal government ."

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<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/672/378/minneapolis-protests-ice-renee-nicole-good-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1344/756/minneapolis-protests-ice-renee-nicole-good-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/931/523/minneapolis-protests-ice-renee-nicole-good-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1862/1046/minneapolis-protests-ice-renee-nicole-good-fox-news.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> A protester confronts a Homeland Safety officer throughout a protest in opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following a deadly capturing by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 11. (Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu by way of Getty Pictures)

Becoming a member of "Hannity" on Tuesday, Patel credited the administration for prioritizing legislation enforcement crackdowns within the North Star State and past.

"He has provided legislation enforcement the assets they should defend our American communities," the FBI Director instructed Fox Information. "He has additionally given us the mandate to implement the legislation."

Patel went on to element how the federal felony investigation into the subpoenaed Minnesota officers is predicted to unfold.

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"When you've gotten subpoenas out , it isn't rocket science," he defined. "Investigations are carried out by buying data, investigations are then furthered by placing witnesses within the grand jury and making a presentment for a case with our companions on the Division of Justice."

Fox Information realized late final week that federal authorities had opened an investigation into Walz and Frey over allegations they impeded legislation enforcement operations.

Minnesota Lawyer Common Keith Ellison was additionally amongst these subpoenaed.

Responding to the information, Walz, Frey and Ellison echoed the identical message, saying they don't seem to be intimidated.

Walz, a former opponent of President Donald Trump within the 2024 presidential race, dismissed the subpoenas as a "partisan distraction" and "political retaliation."

"The State of Minnesota won't be drawn into political theater," the governor wrote on X.

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Minnesota Lawyer Common Keith Ellison speaks at a Neighborhood Empowerment speaker sequence on the Bridge Middle on Could 7, 2025, in Detroit, Mich. (Monica Morgan/Getty Pictures)

Frey additionally pushed again, accusing the federal authorities of weaponizing its energy to intimidate native leaders.

"We shouldn’t dwell in a rustic the place federal legislation enforcement is used to play politics or crack down on native voices they disagree with," he wrote on X.

Ellison known as the investigation "extremely irregular" and famous its timing shortly after his workplace filed a lawsuit in opposition to the administration over its actions in Minnesota.

"Trump is weaponizing the justice system in opposition to any chief who dares to face as much as him," he wrote on X.

FBI Director Kash Patel speaks throughout a press briefing on the White Home in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Picture/Evan Vucci)

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Patel, nevertheless, asserted the administration’s efforts are aimed toward public security and made clear the FBI is following Trump’s mandate to put down the legislation for all, not excluding elected officers.

"This FBI is dedicated to working with our interagency and our Division of Justice companions underneath President Trump's mandate to ensure Minnesota and each different metropolis throughout this nation is secure," Patel mentioned.