A board of top state officials chaired by Gov. Tim Walz that oversees $155 billion of Minnesota’s retirement fund investments has repeatedly delayed meetings this year and held one virtually due to what they say are concerns about political violence.

Minnesota’s State Board of Investment, which manages investments for 800,000 members of three employee retirement systems in the state, typically holds quarterly meetings in person. Until a remote hearing on Tuesday this week, it had only held one so far in 2025.

Tuesday’s meeting had initially been scheduled in May but had been delayed multiple times — first to June 18, but was again postponed after the June 14 assassinations of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and the shootings of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, according to board management and state Auditor Julie Blaha, one of the board’s four members.

The delays also come as a group of activists demanding that the state drop its investments in Israel continues to protest at meetings. Eleven protesters were arrested by the Minnesota State Patrol during a sit-in at the state Retirement Systems Building on Tuesday, not far from the state Capitol in St. Paul,  as the board met virtually. All have been released, though they face trespassing charges.

Security concerns

When asked if the changes to meetings were tied to protests, state leaders and board management pointed to security concerns in the wake of the June assassinations.

“I agreed to meet virtually this month because, with the recent wave of political violence, we need to re-evaluate the security of our meetings,” Blaha said in a statement. “We must ensure we can protect not only those of us on the board, but also our staff and meeting attendees. In December, if security needs are met, I expect we’ll be back in person.”

Blaha, who sits on the board with the governor, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Secretary of State Steve Simon, said she supports the First Amendment right to protest. Israeli divestment protesters had 30 minutes during Tuesday’s investment board meeting to offer public comments.

“I respect their voices and welcome their presence, even when we disagree,” Blaha said. “That’s why we allot time for public comment and why I meet with constituents regularly to discuss their concerns.”

Protesters

Divestment protesters say they’re frustrated by the delays and venue changes and have accused state leaders of postponing meetings and taking them online to avoid difficult conversations about Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

Meredith Aby with the Anti-War Committee, a Minneapolis group that opposes U.S. aid to Israel and supports divestment, said she and other protesters were frustrated by date changes and were skeptical of SBI blaming political violence for delays.

“Between that (March) meeting and the meeting this time, it was moved to all virtual,” Aby said. “People just feel like they’re getting iced out of the process.”

When asked, board leadership didn’t say why the May meeting was delayed. The last time the State Investment Board met was in March at a building away from the state Capitol complex. Prior to that, the board had met in Senate hearing rooms — except from May 2020 to February 2022 during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investments

Around $177.8 million of $155 billion in assets managed by the investment board are in Israeli holdings — around 0.11%. They are externally managed by independent third-party firms, according to the SBI. Protesters argue the state has billions more in companies that supply Israel with weapons and equipment.

In response to a request for comment on the protests and arrests, the governor’s office noted that even as meetings go online, the board allows comment periods.

“There is always an opportunity for public comment at these meetings,” said Claire Lancaster, a spokesperson for Walz. “However, protesters must be lawful and respect public property.”

Protesters claim the board rescheduled the Aug. 20 meeting after members learned of their intent to “pack the room.”

Jill Schurtz, executive director and chief investment officer for the board, said the delay in August was “in the aftermath” of the assassinations. Blaha, meanwhile, said it was to allow “more time to complete” an analysis for the state’s investment strategy.

Schurtz also said ”heavy construction” at the state Capitol complex has “made it more challenging to secure large public meeting space, particularly when the Minnesota Legislature is in session.”

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Jonathan Weinhagen, the former vice president of the St. Paul Area Regional Chamber of Commerce and a current member of the Mounds View school board, was federally indicted Thursday on charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, attempted bank fraud and providing a false statement on a loan application — all allegations relating to his time with the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce or shortly thereafter.

Weinhagen, 42, of Shoreview, worked at the St. Paul Area Regional Chamber of Commerce for about 6 1/2 years, including more than two years as vice president, before departing in October 2016 to become president and CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce. After almost eight years at its helm, Weinhagen abruptly resigned in June 2024 following an internal investigation that projected a $500,000 deficit in 2024.

Undated courtesy photo, circa Sept. 2023, of Jonathan Weinhagen, candidate for Mounds View School Board in the November 2023 election. (Courtesy of the candidate)

The federal charges allege Weinhagen stole $200,000 from the chamber by setting up contracts with a company that did not exist, Minnesota Public Radio reported. He allegedly invented a fictional company called Synergy Partners along with a fictional owner, James Sullivan, which he used to enter into fraudulent contracts with the chamber.

The indictment says Weinhagen got the chamber to pay more than $100,000 to Synergy under the contracts, which he used for personal expenses, according to MPR. Weinhagen also allegedly opened a line of credit in the chamber’s name, borrowed more than $125,000, and transferred it to the phony company.

The chamber discovered the credit line and staff requested information about the payments. Weinhagen then allegedly sent fake emails to make it appear the fictional company had gone out of business and published an obituary, claiming the owner had died of pancreatic cancer, MPR reported.

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Crime Stoppers money

Weinhagen also allegedly stole $30,000 that the chamber had given to Crime Stoppers for reward money following the shootings of three children in Minneapolis in 2021. After the cases went unsolved, Weinhagen asked Crime Stoppers to return the money and allegedly asked that the refund check be sent to his home, saying it was the chamber’s new address, MPR reported.

The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce said in a written statement Thursday it was aware of the criminal charges and that it continues to cooperate with the Department of Justice’s investigation and prosecution.

“Over the past 16 months, the MRC has been working diligently to make process and governance changes to help rebuild and strengthen the organization,” the statement read. “The Chamber plays a vital role in the Twin Cities and remains firmly focused on our mission of creating partnerships to unite and grow member businesses and improve the Greater MSP region.”

Weinhagen made his first court appearance on the charges at the federal courthouse in St. Paul. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright ordered that he remain free on an unsecured $25,000 bond.

An attorney for Weinhagen is not listed in the court file, and he did not immediately respond Thursday to a message left for him asking to respond to the allegations.

Other public role

Weinhagen has served as an elected member of the Mounds View Public Schools school board since June 2014, according to his résumé on the professional networking website LinkedIn, and the Mounds View Public Schools website; he previously spent five years on the board of the Mounds View Schools Education Foundation. His school board term ends in January 2028.

He also served for five years on the Shoreview Economic Development Commission, and was a sales and marketing manager of the now-shuttered Weinhagen Tire Co. on St. Paul’s West Side.

 

The family of a 40-year-old from St. Paul who died at the Rush City prison this month called on Thursday for transparency and accountability from the Minnesota Department of Corrections and other agencies.

Stephen Washington’s death on Oct. 9 remains under investigation. Preliminary information is that he “and his cellmate were involved in a dispute that ultimately turned violent,” said Shannon Loehrke, DOC communications director.

Alissa Washington, cousin of Stephen Washington and executive director of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-Sentenced Families Council-Minnesota, said Thursday that her family doesn’t “have clear answers about what happened to him, how he was housed, who his cellmate was, what risk assessments were done and what red flags were missed.”

She called on DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell to release the full timeline of events, housing decisions, incident and investigation reports, and “any video footage that can illustrate what happened to Stephen.”

“The safety of those individuals housed in DOC facilities remains our priority,” Schnell said in a statement Thursday. “The death of Mr. Washington is tragic, and we await the findings of the investigation to fully understand what motivated this incident.”

Stephen Washington (Courtesy of the Washington family)

The DOC’s Office of Special Investigations is working on the case along with the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. When it’s finalized, the case will be submitted to the Chisago County Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of criminal charges, Loehrke said.

The subject of the investigation has been transferred to the state’s maximum security facility in Oak Park Heights and is in administrative segregation pending completion of the investigation, according to Loehrke.

Advocate: Prisons have ‘responsibility’ for those inside

Washington was a father, an entrepreneur and loved football, which he played at Minneapolis’ Edison High School, said Alissa Washington. He most recently lived with his aunt in St. Paul.

“He was only 40 years old,” his cousin said. “… We had a lot more years with each other. He was coming home soon.”

He was sentenced in December to 2¾ years in prison, with credit for 173 days already served, for domestic assault in Hubbard County.

Washington was also sentenced in March to 2½ years in prison, with credit for 271 days served, for third-degree assault at the Ramsey County jail. A correctional officer heard Washington and another inmate arguing in their cell. The other man walked away and said he wasn’t going to fight Washington, according to a criminal complaint.

The correctional officer opened the door to prevent an incident and tried to remove the other inmate from the cell. The officer saw Washington “sucker punch” the man from behind, knocking him to the ground, after which he punched him multiple times in the face, the complaint said.

Regardless of why a person is incarcerated, prisons “have a very clear and simple responsibility to those inside of their walls,” said Vash Lamp of the Minnesota Anti-War Committee. “… Just because someone is serving a sentence does not make them less than human and undeserving of basic human rights, such as safety.”

Fundraising is underway on GoFundMe for Washington’s funeral.

“The facility that is responsible for his needless death has determined that they are only responsible for covering about $1,500” of the funeral costs, Lamp said.

The DOC provides assistance to cover basic funeral or cremation expenses, Loehrke said.

Became cellmates day of death

Alissa Washington called on the DOC to enforce its cellmate policies “consistently across all facilities.” She said the DOC’s own audit materials state there is criteria for incarcerated people to request a specific cellmate, “reducing incompatibility and incentivizing positive behavior.”

Washington said her family was told that Stephen Washington’s cellmate had requested a roommate change away from Washington.

The two men had become cellmates the morning of Oct. 9, according to Loehrke.

Correctional officers were called about a person down in a cell shortly before 1:30 p.m. that day. Washington was found injured and was pronounced dead.

Alissa Washington said the state needs to take “serious action on overcrowding, which drives risk for everyone.”

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“The Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act is already law and is designed to shift the focus of corrections from how much time someone spends behind bars to how they spend that time with rehabilitation, accountability and reintegration,” Washington said.

The act was implemented two years ago and six people have been released under it, though more are eligible, said Josh McMillen of the Minnesota Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee.

“Why are we double bunking?” McMillen asked. “… Why are we not releasing people who have met the criteria?”

The Rush City prison has always been double bunked, according to Loehrke.

“There is no indication that MRRA would have prevented this incident from occurring,” she said.

By OLIVIA DIAZ and DAVID A. LIEB

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Democrats are taking steps to redraw their state’s U.S. House districts, hoping to boost their party’s chances in next year’s midterm elections and counter President Donald Trump’s push for more partisan districts in Republican-run states.

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Virginia House Speaker Don Scott sent a letter Thursday to members telling them to convene Monday for a special session but did not state a reason. The purpose includes congressional redistricting aimed at gaining more Democratic-held seats, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because they are not authorized to publicly discuss them.

Virginia would be the second state with a Democratic-led legislature after California to enter a national redistricting battle with enormous stakes. If Democrats gain just three more seats, they would take control of the House and effectively impede Trump’s agenda.

Republican lawmakers in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina already have approved new congressional maps aimed at helping their party win more seats and retain the slim GOP House majority. And even more states are considering redistricting as the battle front widens.

A spokeswoman for Democrats’ House campaign arm characterized Virginia’s effort as the party pursuing “every available tool to counter Republicans’ desperate attempts to steal the midterms.”

“Virginia’s decision to convene and preserve the right to consider a new map in 2026 is critical in the fight to ensure voters have fair representation,” said Courtney Rice, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Republicans vowed to fight. Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore said Democrats missed their opportunity to carry out this procedure by 2026 and that it’s “too late constitutionally” to do so.

“We are going to do everything legally we can do to stop this power grab,” Kilgore said.

Voting districts typically are redrawn at the start of each decade to account for population changes noted by the census. But Trump took the unusual step over the summer of urging Republican-led states to reshape key districts to try to buck a historical trend of a president’s party losing seats in midterm elections.

Virginia currently is represented in the U.S. House by six Democrats and five Republicans who ran in districts whose boundaries were imposed by a court after a bipartisan redistricting commission failed to agree on a map after the 2020 census.

The effort to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts comes in the final weeks before the Nov. 4 state legislative and statewide elections. But Monday’s session is just the start of what could be a long legislative process, running past the election.

Because Virginia’s redistricting commission was established by a voter-approved constitutional amendment, the electorate must sign off on any changes. And any proposed change to the constitution must first pass the legislature in two separate sessions. Democrats are scrambling to hold that first vote this year, so that they can approve the change a second time after a new legislative session begins Jan. 14.

Voters still would have to approve a change in the constitution to allow using the new House map. And that vote would need to occur before congressional primaries, which are currently set for June 16 — though dates for such elections have been pushed back in the past.

In many states, congressional districts are drawn by state lawmakers, subject to the approval of the governor. But North Carolina’s new map, which received final approval Wednesday from the Republican-led Legislature, did not have to go to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein. Those changes target a swing district held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis by adding areas that contain more Republican-leaning voters.

Like Virginia, California has a constitutionally established redistricting commission, which approved maps after the 2020 census. California voters are to decide in a Nov. 4 election whether to temporarily suspend those districts and instead use a map approved by the Democratic-led Legislature that could help Democrats pick up as many as five additional seats.

No voter approval is necessary for the revised districts in Missouri, North Carolina or Texas, though opponents in Missouri are gathering petition signatures to try to force a statewide vote on their new map.

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam in Washington and Steve Peoples in New York contributed to this report.

Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.