Court asks state to suspend Rep. John Thompson's license

A Ramsey County court has asked the state of Minnesota to suspend Rep. John Thompson's driver's license for failing to pay a fine associated with his July 4 traffic citation.

Thompson, a St. Paul Democrat, sparked a summer of controversies when he accused a police sergeant of racially profiling him in an early morning traffic stop in St. Paul. Thompson reportedly was pulled over because he did not have a front license plate and cited for driving under suspension. Although the state Department of Public Safety (DPS) said the lawmaker was issued a Minnesota driver's license this month, Thompson presented a Wisconsin license at the time of the stop.

Thompson received a late payment advisory in August after he failed to pay a $286 fine for the citation and has since added $30 in late fees as of Monday.

Also Monday, public court records for Thompson's traffic case listed a license suspension request sent by the court to the DPS.

Thompson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

He has refused calls from Gov. Tim Walz and top DFL lawmakers to resign after domestic violence accusations surfaced in July.

He was also convicted that month of misdemeanor charges for obstruction of justice in connection to a 2019 disturbance at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale and agreed to apologize on the House floor for calling another lawmaker a racist during a debate last session.

St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell and Thompson have disputed the circumstances around a conversation between Thompson and the sergeant he accused of racially profiling him during the traffic stop.

Axtell said Thompson apologized to the sergeant during a visit to the western district offices in July, but Thompson has insisted he did not apologize.

A police spokesman said the sergeant's body camera recorded Thompson's apology. Thompson has not authorized the department to release the footage, which is required under state law.