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Tim Nelson and MPR News Staff

State Rep. Thompson may lose new Minnesota driver's license

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The St. Paul lawmaker who claimed he was profiled by St. Paul police in a traffic stop, is now in danger of losing the Minnesota driver’s license he just got.

John Thompson
Rep. John Thompson
Courtesy of the Minnesota Legislature

DFL State Rep. John Thompson was pulled over for not having a front license plate in July and ticketed for driving with a suspended license due to a child support issue. Thompson later accused St. Paul police of racially targeting him. Case records, however, revealed that he did not have a Minnesota driver’s license and instead had a Wisconsin license, representing that he lived there — despite a residency requirement for Minnesota legislators.

The case called attention to his other court records, including allegations of domestic assault more than a decade old, which prompted state officials to call for his resignation, including Gov. Tim Walz. Thompson’s attorney Jordan Kushner said in a statement July 18 that Thompson "challenges the authenticity of the police reports" about the alleged abuse.

Thompson subsequently obtained a Minnesota driver’s license, but state officials have now filed a request to suspend it because he failed to appear for a hearing or pay a $291 fine for the July 4 ticket. A final demand for payment was issued Aug. 9 by the court.

Thompson has not yet responded to a request for comment.

St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell said in a Facebook post that the body camera footage and a conversation with the sergeant who made the stop convinced him that Thompson was not profiled.

Prior to the July stop, Thompson said he had “no idea" that his privileges had been suspended.