More FBI Turmoil as Minneapolis Supervisor Resigns Over Decision Not To Investigate ICE Officer in Shooting of Renee Good

An FBI supervisor based in the Minneapolis field office resigned from the bureau this month in protest of the Justice Department’s decision to halt a civil-rights investigation into the ICE-involved shooting of protester Renee Good, according to sources familiar with the personnel changes.The supervisor, identified by the New York Times on Friday as Tracee Mergen, resigned from her role after aides to the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, allegedly encouraged the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office to wind down its investigation into Good’s shooting, according to the Times andMS NOW. FBI agents initially drafted a warrant to search Ms. Good’s car to reconstruct the trajectory of the bullets fired by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, Jonathan Ross, during the January 7 incident in Minneapolis, MS NOW reported Friday. Instead, aides to Mr. Blanche intervened by asking the U.S. Attorney’s office and FBI agents to redraft the search warrant to focus on whether Good, 37, intentionally attacked the officer with her Honda Pilot, according to MSNOW. The decision to make Good the focus of the investigation rather than examine the actions of Mr. Ross caused Ms. Mergen to “resign in frustration,” according to reports.In a statement to MS NOW, an FBI spokesman, Ben Williamson, defended the bureau’s decision to pivot to a criminal investigation into Ms. Good. “The facts on the ground do not support a civil rights investigation. FBI continues to investigate the incident as well as the violent criminal actors and those perpetrating illegal activity,” Mr. Williamson added. Earlier this month, six federal prosecutors resigned in protest of the Justice Department’s decision not to investigate Mr. Ross. The acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota, Joseph H. Thompson, who was overseeing the government’s sweeping investigation into alleged fraud involving Somali childcare providers, was among those who resigned. Mr. Thompson reportedly objected to the Justice Department’s order to pivot the investigation to Good and its unwillingness to include state officials in an investigation into whether the shooting was lawful.An FBI spokesman did not respond to additional questions from the Sun about Ms. Mergen’s resignation. News of Ms. Mergen’s resignation comes on the same day that several agents and high-ranking officials who had previously worked on investigations involving President Trump were dismissed by the FBI, several people familiar with the moves told the Sun.This week, the acting assistant director in charge of the FBI New York field office, Vanessa Tibbits, was placed on administrative leave. Ms. Tibbits had taken command of the New York office after her predecessor, Christopher Raia, was elevated to the role of FBI co-deputy director earlier this month. Ms. Tibbits had previously served as a senior adviser to former FBI Director Christopher Wray, Bloomberg Law reported.Several agents based in the FBI’s Miami office who worked on the Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation were also dismissed, according to reports and people familiar with the personnel changes. The special agent in charge of the FBI New Orleans office, Lyonel Mrythil, was also forced out this week, according to reports. Mr. Myrthil, who had been with the bureau since 2008, was previously the former assistant agent in charge in the Washington field office, where he was involved in the FBI’s investigation into the January 6 Capitol unrest, according to Bloomberg Law.News of the dismissals came after former Special Counsel Jack Smith appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to defend his criminal cases against Mr. Trump. Mr. Smith told lawmakers he expected to be prosecuted by his former employer.A spokesman for the FBI did not respond to questions from the Sun.

More FBI Turmoil as Minneapolis Supervisor Resigns Over Decision Not To Investigate ICE Officer in Shooting of Renee Good

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