Trump names Thompson acting US Attorney for Minnesota district

MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump has appointed a new Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota.

Joseph H. Thompson has served as a federal prosecutor for 16 years, according to a news release, including in Minnesota since 2014.

Most recently, Thompson served as the chief of the fraud and public corruption section and was the lead prosecutor in the Feeding Our Future investigation.

“I am honored and humbled to be asked to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota,” stated Thompson in the news release.

“I look forward to continuing our office’s work combating violent crime, the scourge of fentanyl and other deadly drugs, and the shocking and unacceptable levels of fraud in our state government programs.”

Between 2023 and 2024, Thompson served on the special counsel team investigating the mishandling of classified documents found at the Penn-Biden Center in Washington, D.C., and the personal residence of President Joe Biden.

Thompson was born and raised in Minnesota, earning his bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College and his law degree from Stanford Law School.

He taught at the University of Minnesota Law School for more than a decade.

Last month, Trump named attorney Daniel Rosen as his permanent choice for Minnesota’s top federal prosecutor, a decision that remains pending approval in the U.S. Senate.

The Star Tribune reported that Rosen served more than 30 years as an attorney specializing in commercial litigation, focusing on eminent-domain matters.