Mark Osler, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and former federal prosecutor, spoke with MPR News about a federal judge’s decision to invalidate Justice Department subpoenas seeking records from Minnesota public officials related to immigration enforcement. Osler said the ruling was notable both because courts rarely quash subpoenas and because the judge raised concerns about the motivations behind the investigation.
From the article:
A DOJ spokesperson responded to Schiltz’s conclusions in a brief statement. “The Department takes the unlawful obstruction of federal law enforcement operations extremely seriously and will continue to act in full compliance with the law to investigate these matters.”
Mark Osler, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law and a former federal prosecutor, said the ruling is noteworthy.
“It is rare for a subpoena to be quashed, but this was a rare kind of investigation as well, and Judge Schiltz concluding that there was political motivation, for example, is very unusual,” he said.
“We’re not talking about some radical, out there judge,” he said. “We’re talking about a rock-solid federal judge who seems to have reached a breaking point.”
Public officials targeted by the subpoenas issued statements welcoming the judge’s decision.
