Anders Folk

Folk first joined the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota as an Assistant United States Attorney in 2005, where he prosecuted federal crimes including terrorism, narcotics, and financial fraud. He worked on cases involving the al-Shabaab terrorist organization's recruitment of Minnesotans to fight in Somalia. He left in 2011 to practice at Stinson LLP in Minneapolis, before returning to the U.S. Attorney's Office in 2018 as First Assistant United States Attorney. ^[3]

In 2019, Folk testified before a state workgroup co-chaired by Attorney General Keith Ellison offering specific recommendations for investigating and prosecuting police deadly force cases.^[4][5]

On March 1, 2021, Folk was designated Acting United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota following the resignation of U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald at the start of the Biden administration. In that role, he filed federal civil rights charges against Derek Chauvin in connection with the murder of George Floyd, leading to the federal conviction of Chauvin and his co-defendants. He also initiated a pattern and practice investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department for alleged civil rights violations.^[3] Under Folk's leadership, the U.S. Attorney's Office secured a guilty verdict in the trial of Ty Jindra, a former Minneapolis Police Department officer charged with three counts of acquiring a controlled substance by deception and two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.^[6]

Folk stepped down as Acting United States Attorney in November 2021.^[7]

Following his tenure as Acting U.S. Attorney, Folk served as Senior Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in Washington, D.C., managing a portfolio covering crisis response and civil rights.^[8]

In October 2025, Folk announced his candidacy for Hennepin County Attorney after incumbent Mary Moriarty announced she would not seek re-election.^[9] His campaign has focused on public safety and restoring relationships with law enforcement. Following Operation Metro Surge, Folk emerged as a leading voice against ICE's immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis, calling them "brutal and wanton."^[10] In February 2026, Folk signed a letter along with seven other former U.S. Attorneys condemning the "ongoing damage" to the Department of Justice under the second Trump administration.^[11] He received endorsements from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and former U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.^[8]