Minnesota DOJ rocked by 'alarming' new wave of resignations over ethics concerns

The four lead prosecutors who led the $250 million Minnesota fraud case have all quit amid mass resignations, according to reports on Wednesday.

The departures of Joe Thompson, Harry Jacobs, Daniel Bobier and Matthew Ebert from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota mark a number "already-diminished office," including a wave of dozens who have already resigned from their roles, CBS reported. They have reportedly passed the case to "relative newcomers to the office."

Now, as few as 17 assistant U.S. attorneys have held on, which is a major drop from the 70 working during the Biden administration, an inside source told CBS.

A number of components have contributed to their departures — from the heavy caseload, the Trump administration's influences on the office, concerns over legal actions surrounding ICE's Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities, and the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, among other growing concerns.

"The mass exodus we're seeing in Minnesota is alarming," Stacey Young, founder of the organization Justice Connection, told CBS.

"We should all pay attention to why some of the state's top federal prosecutors chose to leave -- it had nothing to do with political disagreement; rather, this administration asked them to violate their legal and ethical responsibilities, and they believed the exit was their only option," Young said. "The loss of institutional knowledge and expertise will destabilize the U.S. Attorney's office, leaving Minnesotans' safety and rights less protected."