You can now listen to Fox News articles!Keith Ellison is facing criticism from his Republican challenger for prioritizing a climate change lawsuit over tackling violent crime fallout since George Floyd’s killing.
"The Attorney General's Office is not supposed to be engaging in far-left political activism, or activism of any kind," the Republican candidate said."I will not engage in things like this that are fundamentally about business harassment." Violent crime in greater Minnesota rose by 16% in 2021. In the seven-county metro area – comprised of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties – violent crime rose by 23.9%, according to the annual report. Motor vehicle thefts statewide were at the highest since 2001.
"This lawsuit is in the long and successful tradition of Minnesota attorneys general standing up to protect Minnesotans from corporate fraud and deception by Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, and now Big Oil," Ellison said in a statement emailed to the Tribune."This is what Minnesotans expect from their attorney general. It's the right fight to be having."