Senate GOP leader puts up roadblock to Luger bid to be Minnesota U.S. attorney
WASHINGTON – The Senate's top Republican said Wednesday he's holding up the confirmation process for President Joe Biden's nominee as Minnesota's next U.S. attorney. Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell wrote to Andrew Luger this week detailing his concerns over last month's sentencing of 26-year-old Montez Lee Jr., who was given a sentence 10 years below the maximum for setting a deadly Lake Street fire during the 2020 unrest that followed George Floyd's killing by a Minneapolis police officer.
Luger, who previously served as U.S. attorney for Minnesota under Democratic President Barack Obama, did not have a role in the case.
"I just had to place a hold on a nominee to be U.S. attorney for Minnesota because the person recently acting in that job recommended an unusually soft sentence below the maximum guideline to a convicted fatal arsonist because the arsonist was taking part in a far-left political riot at the time," McConnell said during a speech on the Senate floor, referring to the prosecution team in the Lee case. "I'll need written assurances the nominee to succeed this person will not continue this jaw-dropping practice and lessen criminals' sentences so long as the political violence they commit happens to be left-wing."
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In a response obtained by the Star Tribune on Wednesday, Luger wrote back to McConnell and noted he "was not involved in the decision making regarding the matter" and couldn't comment on Lee's sentencing. "I can, however, assure you that, if confirmed as U.S. Attorney, violent crime cases — regardless of motivation — will be prosecuted fully, and that I will require the prosecutors under my supervision to make all prosecutorial decisions based on the individual facts and circumstances of each case, and without regard to the political or ideological viewpoint of the defendant, consistent with the Principles of Federal Prosecution," Luger wrote. U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright, who is being discussed as a possible U.S. Supreme Court pick, sentenced Lee to 10 years in federal prison, well below the 20 years in line with federal sentencing guidelines.
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Surveillance video showed Lee pouring an accelerant around a Minneapolis shop and lighting it. A second video captured him in front of the burning business and declaring as a friend recorded video of his actions, "We're gonna burn this [expletive] down."
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https://www.startribune.com/senate-gop-leader-puts-up-roadblock-to-luger-confirmation-as-minnesota-u-s-attorney/600144903/