A supervisor at the FBI’s Minneapolis office has resigned after trying, but failing, to investigate the ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Nicole Good on January 7th, as reported by various sources.
The news about agent Tracee Mergen’s resignation came out just before federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday. Both Pretti and Good were 37-year-old American citizens.
Mergen stepped down after facing pressure from officials in Washington DC to halt her inquiry into ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fatally shot Good while she was seen attempting to drive away from a confrontation, according to the New York Times and NBC News.
These reports cited unnamed sources. The FBI has not issued any comments regarding Mergen’s resignation, stating that it does not discuss personnel issues.
The killing on Saturday ignited public protests, creating a complicated situation in Minneapolis involving demonstrators demanding accountability for Pretti’s death, local law enforcement, and the Trump administration.
Mergen’s departure comes as Trump’s Justice Department stated it finds no reason to start a civil rights investigation into Good’s death, which had already led to street demonstrations.
“There is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation,” deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said in a statement on January 13th. The Trump administration argued that Ross acted in self-defense since Good allegedly obstructed federal operations with her vehicle, putting the agent at risk.
Federal officials have been uncooperative with local authorities, prompting Democratic leaders to claim that there’s an ongoing coverup by the federal government.
A superintendent from Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) mentioned that they had “reluctantly withdrawn” from the investigation. Furthermore, six federal prosecutors resigned over requests concerning an investigation into Good’s widow who witnessed the fatal encounter.
Reports surfaced on Saturday indicating that Mergen had testified against Tom Barrack-a close associate and fundraiser for Donald Trump who chaired his inaugural committee. Her testimony was related to a case against Barrack from 2022 concerning his alleged connections with UAE officials.
During the trial, Barrack’s defense team suggested that Mergen lied before a grand jury when she claimed Barrack did not feel he was asked anything on behalf of UAE during their interview.
In 2021, prosecutors charged Barrack in New York with several counts alleging he acted and conspired to act as an agent for UAE between April 2016 and April 2018-alongside making false statements.
Barrack denied all charges. A jury later acquitted him of acting as an unregistered foreign agent along with obstruction of justice and making false statements.
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