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Former Minn. Gov. to Newsmax: Federal Charges Fitting for 'Heinous Crime'

By James Morley III | Tuesday, 17 June 2025 10:45 AM EDT

While the state does not have the death penalty, former Minnesota GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty told Newsmax that it was appropriate for Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring federal charges against Vance Boelter, accused of killing two people Friday in a politically motivated attack.

Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, Minnesota, was charged by federal complaint with stalking and murdering Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, in addition to stalking and shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

"I was hoping for those federal charges to be brought for that reason," Pawlenty said Tuesday on "Wake Up America." "This is a heinous crime. It was premeditated. He could have had multiple victims.

"And by the way, the definition of political terrorism is using violence to advance a political perspective or agenda. We don't know enough yet about this person and what his motives were. We need to understand whether this might also be an act of terrorism, but that's something to keep an eye on."

Pawlenty, the last two-term Republican governor from Minnesota, was asked by host Marc Lotter if the murders might make Minnesota lawmakers "rethink the ban on capitol punishment."

"Reinstating that [the death penalty] under certain circumstances was something I proposed when I was governor," Pawlenty said. "I was not able to convince the Minnesota legislature to do that in the current environment. With the political environment in Minnesota, which is predominantly blue, at least on a statewide basis, Democrat or liberal, it's unlikely they're going to reinstate the death penalty anytime soon in this state."