Ellison, Schutz clash over fraud and Trump in Minnesota attorney general race
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says his record of prosecuting fraud, protecting consumers and challenging President Donald Trump’s administration merits a third term.
Republican challenger Ron Schutz argues that Minnesota needs a change in leadership, with a more aggressive approach to fraud and less focus on political battles.
The two lawyers clashed over those priorities during an Oct. 2 debate hosted by MPR News, offering very different visions for the state’s top legal office. The contest also puts a spotlight on Minnesota’s response to major public fraud scandals and the attorney general’s authority to challenge federal policies.
Fraud takes center stage
Schutz has made fraud in state social services programs the centerpiece of his campaign, accusing Ellison of failing to prevent abuses and adequately punish those responsible.
“People need to go to jail, nobody’s afraid out there,” Schutz said during the debate, arguing that felony convictions in major theft cases should lead to prison time under state sentencing guidelines.
Ellison countered that his office has secured more than 350 Medicaid fraud convictions since he took office in 2019. He said prosecutors bring cases and secure convictions, while judges determine sentences.
Minnesota’s high-profile fraud scandals have fueled Republican criticism of DFL leadership, even as the attorney general’s office points to its prosecution record.
Schutz, a trial lawyer and Army veteran, says the office should do more to identify fraud before it occurs. His campaign proposes dedicating more resources to investigations and using technology, including artificial intelligence tools, to help investigators find potential wrongdoing.
Ellison says his office has pursued fraud while working to strengthen enforcement and protect taxpayer dollars.
Competing approaches to Trump
Ellison has made challenging the Trump administration a central part of his tenure, filing and joining lawsuits over federal policies he says threaten Minnesota residents and state interests.
Schutz calls some of that litigation political theater, arguing that Ellison too readily joins lawsuits initiated by Democratic attorneys general elsewhere. But he has also said he would challenge the federal government when warranted.
Ellison argues that his willingness to challenge the president is essential to protecting Minnesotans, especially after Operation Metro Surge and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by immigration agents in January. Ellison’s office fought to obtain evidence related to the shootings, which state officials have been examining as they consider potential criminal charges. Schutz has called for a joint state and federal investigation and said he would pursue legal action if federal officials withheld evidence.
Different records, different priorities
Ellison, who became attorney general in 2019, previously represented Minneapolis in Congress and served in the Minnesota Legislature. Before entering politics, he practiced criminal defense and civil rights law. He led the prosecution that resulted in Chauvin’s conviction.
His campaign presents the attorney general’s office as a tool to lower costs, protect civil rights and hold powerful interests accountable. Ellison argues that challenging federal policies and pursuing consumer protection cases are core responsibilities of the job.
Schutz has spent decades as a trial lawyer and held leadership roles in Minnesota’s Republican Party. He points to courtroom victories against major corporations, including a $110 million jury award for the inventor of the MRI machine and his company, as evidence that he can bring an effective, results-oriented approach to the office.
Minnesota has not elected a Republican attorney general in decades. The winner of the race will be in office for the next four years.
The attorney general’s office represents state agencies in legal matters, enforces consumer protection laws and has specific authority to prosecute crimes such as Medicaid fraud. It can also challenge federal policies in court, giving the office an important role in disputes between Minnesota and Washington.
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