Local TV station broadcasts disinformation about a Trump pardon for an accused political assassin. You may think that you hate legacy media enough, but you don’t.
We’ve written many times already about the horrific incidents last Friday night, where it is alleged that one Vance Boelter went on a killing spree in the Minneapolis suburbs, shooting and killing state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and shooting and wounding state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. Both incidents occurred in the legislators’ respective homes.
In a 90-minute rampage Friday night, Boelter is alleged to have done the two sets of shootings and also visited the homes of two other area legislators. All victims and would be victims are Democrats. Hortman was a former speaker of the state House of Representatives.
Boelter was captured after a two-day manhunt last weekend, in a joint federal/state/local operation. He was booked into Hennepin County jail on state murder charges and other offenses. Minnesota repealed the death penalty more than a century ago.
On Monday, the Feds filed murder charges against Boelter, charges which carry the potential for the death penalty. The Feds took custody of Boelter on Monday morning.
Yesterday (Thursday) Hennepin County prosecutor Mary Moriarty (remember her?) announced that she wants to prosecute Boelter before the Feds do, reversing the usual order of such things.
Perhaps for the first time in her brief career as a prosecutor, the former career public defender Moriarty found a case she wants to prosecute. The victims are all Democrats, and the alleged killer displays no obvious intersectionality.
To repeat: a Trump-appointed federal prosecutor, Joe Thompson (acting U.S. Attorney), has filed multiple death-penalty-eligible murder charges against an alleged political assassin.
In last year’s election campaign, Trump himself was the subject of two assassination attempts. The one in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulted in Trump’s wounding, the death of a spectator, and the wounding of two other spectators.
Now comes KSTP-5 TV (local ABC affiliate) to report on Moriarty’s petulance at being big-footed by the Feds. KSTP digs up a local law school professor willing to spread some malicious disinformation in the case. At the 2:00-minute mark of the broadcast, Prof. Rachel Moran says the following,
“It’s possible Hennepin County is worried about the political motivations of the prosecutors involved and the possibility of a pardon down the road,” said Moran. “I’d like to think that’s not an issue in a case this egregious, but it’s possible that’s on the Hennepin County Attorney’s mind.”
“Possible.” “the possibility.” “I’d like to think.” “it’s possible.” Prof. Moran’s misinforming musings are entirely unmoored to any fact in the observable universe. Not just unmoored, but in direct opposition to all available information in the public domain.
“Motivations.” “pardon.” Moran casually defames Thompson, a career prosecutor serving on an interim basis. No effort was made by KSTP to contact the White House for a comment on the alleged, possible, pardon for a double murderer.
The victims were all Democrats. Among the few verifiable facts about Boelter is that he was a twice appointed to an obscure board by Democratic governors as an unpaid public member.
Local media have worked overtime attempting to portray Boelter as a MAGA fanatic, doing Trump’s bidding, based on next-to-no verifiable information.
KSTP’s approach to the subject recalls an incident last month, where KSTP worked to foment riots over another unfounded rumor that Trump was set to pardon Derek Chauvin, convicted of killing George Floyd. That KSTP headline,
Minneapolis and state leaders prepare for possible Derek Chauvin pardon.
“Possible” has now become the most powerful word in the English language. Based on what? KSTP admitted,
When asked by White House reporters in March about pardoning Chauvin, President Trump replied, “No, I have not heard about that.”
KSTP quoted Gov. Tim Walz,
Then, on Monday, when asked about the possibility of a pardon, Gov. Walz told reporters, “No indication whether they’re going to do it, or not, but I think it behooves us to be prepared for it. With this presidency, it seems like something they would do.”
“Seems like something they would do.” The libel is so casual and easygoing it could slip right past you.
It is in the public interest that KSTP retract their report.
