FBI Director Patel warns elected officials 'no one' is exempt from federal scrutiny amid Minnesota probe

FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency is carrying out President Donald Trump’s mandate to enforce the law entirely, warning that elected officials are not exempt from federal scrutiny, following the Justice Department's grand jury subpoenas Tuesday to five Minnesota government offices.

"No one – elected official, private citizen or otherwise – gets to impede and obstruct a law enforcement investigation. No one," he said on "Hannity."

Patel's remarks come after the Justice Department sent grand jury subpoenas to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and multiple other state officials as part of a probe into whether they conspired to impede federal immigration enforcement operations.

The subpoenas, served by the FBI, seek records and communications tied to the alleged effort.

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The investigation follows a major escalation in immigration enforcement operations across the Twin Cities ordered by the Trump administration. Roughly 3,000 federal immigration officers were deployed – a sizable force in a region where the Minneapolis Police Department has only about 600 officers.

The probe also comes in the aftermath of the Jan. 7 shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. Her death sparked widespread protests across Minnesota, leading to multiple clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement.

Top Democratic leaders in the state, like Walz and Frey, have strongly opposed the enforcement operations that swept across their state. Gov. Walz at one point declared the state was at "war against the federal government."

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Joining "Hannity" on Tuesday, Patel credited the administration for prioritizing law enforcement crackdowns in the North Star State and beyond.

"He has supplied law enforcement the resources they need to protect our American communities," the FBI Director told Fox News. "He has also given us the mandate to enforce the law."

Patel went on to detail how the federal criminal investigation into the subpoenaed Minnesota officials is expected to unfold.

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"When you have subpoenas out, it is not rocket science," he explained. "Investigations are done by acquiring records, investigations are then furthered by putting witnesses in the grand jury and making a presentment for a case with our partners at the Department of Justice."

Fox News learned late last week that federal authorities had opened an investigation into Walz and Frey over allegations they impeded law enforcement operations.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison was also among those subpoenaed.

Responding to the news, Walz, Frey and Ellison echoed the same message, saying they are not intimidated.

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

"The State of Minnesota will not be drawn into political theater," the governor wrote on X.

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Frey also pushed back, accusing the federal government of weaponizing its power to intimidate local leaders.

"We shouldn’t live in a country where federal law enforcement is used to play politics or crack down on local voices they disagree with," he wrote on X.

Ellison called the investigation "highly irregular" and noted its timing shortly after his office filed a lawsuit against the administration over its actions in Minnesota.

"Trump is weaponizing the justice system against any leader who dares to stand up to him," he wrote on X.

Patel, however, asserted the administration’s efforts are aimed at public safety and made clear the FBI is following Trump’s mandate to lay down the law for all, not excluding elected officials.

"This FBI is committed to working with our interagency and our Department of Justice partners under President Trump's mandate to make sure Minnesota and every other city across this country is safe," Patel said.