Vietnam jails leading journalist over Facebook posts
A Vietnamese court on Thursday sentenced a leading independent journalist to 30 months in prison over Facebook posts that criticised the government, state media said.
Huy Duc worked for influential state-run newspapers before authoring one of Vietnam's most popular blogs and Facebook accounts, where he criticised the country's communist leaders on issues such as corruption, media control and relations with China.
The court in Hanoi convicted the 63-year-old of "abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the state" through posting 13 articles on Facebook, according to Vietnam News Agency.
The trial lasted just a few hours.
"These articles have a large number of interactions, comments, and shares, causing negative impacts on social order and safety," the indictment read, according to state media.
Shortly before his arrest last June, Huy Duc -- which is the journalist's pen name -- took aim online at Vietnam's most powerful leader To Lam, as well as his predecessor Nguyen Phu Trong.
It is unclear if the charges related to these particular posts.
Vietnam, a one-party state, has no free media and clamps down hard on any dissent. It is one of the world's top jailers of journalists, according to the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom campaign group.
The trial in Hanoi came just months after blogger Duong Van Thai -- who had almost 120,000 followers on YouTube, where he regularly recorded livestreams critical of the government -- was jailed for 12 years on charges of publishing anti-state information.
In January, a prominent former lawyer was jailed for three years over Facebook posts.
- 'Invaluable source of information' -
Huy Duc, whose real name is Truong Huy San, is a former senior army lieutenant.
He was fired from a state news outlet in 2009 for criticising past actions by Vietnam's former communist ally, the Soviet Union.
Huy Duc spent a year at Harvard University on a Nieman Fellowship in 2012.
During his time abroad, his account of life in Vietnam after the end of the war with the United States, "The Winning Side", was published.
RSF said previously that his articles were "an invaluable source of information enabling the Vietnamese public to access censored information by the Hanoi regime".
Rights campaigners say the government has in recent years stepped up a crackdown on civil society.
"No country can develop sustainably based on fear," Huy Duc wrote on Facebook in May, the month before he was arrested.
In December, Vietnam enacted new rules requiring Facebook and TikTok to verify user identities and hand over data to authorities.
Under "Decree 147", all tech giants operating in Vietnam must verify user accounts by phone numbers or Vietnamese identification numbers and store that information alongside their full name and date of birth.
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Politico
4 hours ago
- Politico
In the streets
Presented by With help from Eli Okun and Bethany Irvine Good Sunday morning. Happy Father's Day. This is Zack Stanton. Get in touch. YOUR SUNDAY LISTEN: Within President Donald Trump's orbit, Richard Grenell is a jack of all trades. He's a special presidential envoy (if you're unclear what exactly that entails, Grenell says his remit is 'whatever President Trump gives me, and that can change'), as well as head of the Kennedy Center, a former acting director of national intelligence and ex-ambassador to Germany. Add in his friendship with first lady Melania Trump, and you begin to get a sense of the unique role he occupies. On today's episode of 'The Conversation with Dasha Burns,' Grenell joins Dasha to talk about all of it and much more — his vision for the Kennedy Center, the divide he sees between what he calls 'normal gays' and other members of the LGBTQ+ community, what diplomacy means to him, why he's thinking about running for California governor and much more. Watch and listen to it now on YouTube Grenell on audience members booing Trump officials at the Kennedy Center: 'I'm all for having your First Amendment rights. I will go to the mat for making sure that you have your First Amendment rights. But do you want a world where 'Les Mis' is interrupted by boos because somebody just feels like that's their moment? I don't.' On 'Hamilton' canceling its Kennedy Center run: 'When we had … Lin-Manuel Miranda and the 'Hamilton' folks, his whole push to say, 'I can't be here' — 'Hamilton' cancels at the Kennedy Center. Why did he do that? He did that because he's intolerant. He doesn't want to perform for Republicans. … The intolerance from the arts community is one of the worst. … They talk about 'give everyone their voice,' 'be tolerant,' 'we wanna be diverse,' but you show up as a Republican, and you get booed. They're literally the most intolerant people.' On LGBTQ+ pride parades: 'I mean, you go to a pride parade, and it's embarrassing, to be honest. … It's real fringe, and it's too sexual. And I think that we have to start critiquing ourselves — and by the way, this is extremely popular with normal gays.' On Trump deploying the military to L.A.: 'I think Donald Trump saved Los Angeles, because it was clearly heading towards riots … So when Donald Trump decided to send in law enforcement and send in the National Guard and send in the military, there are a lot of Democrats in California who said 'Thank God.'' On talking with Russia about Ukraine: 'Russia is clearly the problem here, and we have to be able to get to them and have a nice conversation with them and say, 'What do you want?' I don't think that talking to Russia is [a] weakness, which a lot of people do.' Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts … Spotify … YouTube DRIVING THE DAY IN THE STREETS: A week that began with Trump ordering the Marines and National Guard troops to the streets of Los Angeles ended with massive protests against the president in the streets of cities across the country, with Army tanks rumbling down Constitution Avenue here in Washington, and with armed FBI agents sweeping a neighborhood in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, on a search for the gunman who allegedly shot two Democratic state legislators in their homes, killing Minnesota House DFL leader Melissa Hortman and her husband. This morning, that manhunt continues. The Minnesota Star-Tribune's Jeff Day and colleagues report that the suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, 'carried a manifesto that listed 'prominent pro-choice individuals in Minnesota, including many Democratic lawmakers.'' The list reportedly included 11 lawmakers from neighboring Wisconsin, per the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. On NBC's 'Meet the Press,' Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said that law enforcement has 'also put an alert out in South Dakota,' and that they believe the suspect is 'in the Midwest.' A gut punch of a headline: 'Like School Shootings, Political Violence Is Becoming Almost Routine.' NYT's Lisa Lerer notes the statements of shock and condolences from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (shot and nearly killed in 2017), former Rep. Gabby Giffords (shot and nearly killed in 2011), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (whose husband, Paul, was bludgeoned and nearly killed in 2022), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (whose house was set on fire earlier this year while he and his family slept inside), Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (whom a group of militia members plotted to abduct and possibly execute in 2020) and Trump himself (who survived two assassination attempts in 2024). 'In the past three months alone, a man set fire to the Pennsylvania governor's residence while Mr. Shapiro and his family were asleep inside; another man gunned down a pair of workers from the Israeli Embassy outside an event in Washington; protesters calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colo., were set on fire; and the Republican Party headquarters in New Mexico and a Tesla dealership near Albuquerque were firebombed,' Lerer writes. 'Slowly but surely, political violence has moved from the fringes to an inescapable reality. Violent threats and even assassinations, attempted or successful, have become part of the political landscape — a steady undercurrent of American life.' That threat of violence loomed over yesterday's 'No Kings' protests. After the shootings in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz urged would-be demonstrators not to attend any rallies 'until the suspect is apprehended.' In Texas, officials arrested a man who made a credible threat against lawmakers who were to attend the No Kings protest in Austin; per the American-Statesman, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety 'said preliminary information suggested the man was politically 'far left-leaning' and sought to harm those with whom he disagreed politically.' But those worries did little to dampen turnout nationally, as 'millions of Americans across the country took part in the largest coordinated protests against the president since the start of his second administration,' as POLITICO's Gigi Ewing writes. Here in Washington, a demonstration gathered in Logan Circle and marched for several blocks. But mostly, the No Kings phenomenon skipped the nation's capital. 'Rather than give [Trump] the excuse to crack down on peaceful counterprotests in downtown D.C., or give him the narrative device to claim that we're protesting the military, we said, OK, you can have downtown D.C.,' Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, told POLITICO. Instead, the main event in D.C. was the massive parade to honor the U.S. Army's 250th birthday (which also happened to coincide with Trump's 79th). 'Planes roared over the heart of Washington on Saturday evening, tanks rolled along the National Mall, brass bands resounded and thousands of soldiers marched past cheering crowds, as the Army put on the largest show of military might in the capital in more than three decades,' as WaPo put it. 'Long lines formed in the heavy heat, as people waited to climb in the back of a Stryker armored vehicle, and kids clambered into front seats of attack helicopters, posing for parents snapping photos with their phones. Across the grass, combat medics demonstrated how they treat injuries in conflict zones. A face-painting stand was steps away from a display of 19th-century rifles. Red MAGA hats dotted the crowd.' Last night, as celebratory fireworks gleamed above the National Mall, people gathered to gawk on the block of 16th Street just north of Lafayette Square where, four years ago this month, the National Guard and U.S. Park Police used tear gas against nonviolent protesters so that the president could walk to St. John's Church and pose for a photo. That stretch of road, which bore the words 'Black Lives Matter' until earlier this year, was largely devoid of demonstrators, save for a few pressed up against the anti-scale fencing erected at Lafayette Square. Tourists stood in the street, marveling at the display in the sky. A newly married couple bolted out from the St. Regis to take wedding photos in the median before the show ended. An older couple, both wearing American flag t-shirts, got an early beat on any traffic, making the trek away from the Mall. The sidewalk in front of St. John's Church was empty, save for a homeless person in a sleeping bag. There were precious few signs of the plaza's recent history, even with the echoes to the current moment, with mass protests nationally, Trump deploying federal forces to American cities and the feeling again of a nation seemingly on the brink. (History, as they say, may not repeat, but often rhymes.) All of it felt strangely normal. Perhaps it is now. SUNDAY BEST … — Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter on Israel's strikes against Iran, on 'Fox News Sunday': 'We are going to deal with the nuclear program as best we can. We still have a few surprises up our sleeve. I think we've proven that over the past couple of days. We're determined to get this done. At this point, what we've requested from our ally, our greatest ally, the United States, is defensive posture.' — Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on U.S. support for Israel, on NBC's 'Meet the Press': 'I support the administration's actions in helping Israel defend itself. In terms of whether the administration should go further and engage in direct hostilities against Iran, that's not something I support. Now, I have to caveat that by saying I have not been able to get recently an intelligence briefing on whether Iran is trying to break out to get a bomb. But I think the United States should be very loath to engage in another war after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.' — Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on what it would take for him to vote for the 'big, beautiful bill,' on NBC's 'Meet the Press': 'Separate out the debt ceiling and have a separate vote on it. And I won't be the deciding vote on this. This is what I tell my supporters. If I am the deciding vote, they'll negotiate. If I'm not, they won't. So far they've been sending their attack dogs after me, and that's not a great persuasion technique. I will negotiate if they come to me, but they have to be willing to negotiate on the debt ceiling.' — Senate Majority Leader John Thune pitching the 'big, beautiful bill,' on 'Fox News Sunday': 'We will see where we finally end up in the Senate, but it'll be a major reduction in spending. … You have to start somewhere. And that's what this bill does.' TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week's must-read opinion pieces. 9 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Trump is traveling to the Canadian Rockies today for the G7 meeting there as the world's economic powerhouses stare down a potentially calamitous tariff deadline and a burgeoning crisis in the Middle East. But Trump is unlikely to leave the three-day summit with a breakthrough on either front, POLITICO's Adam Cancryn reports. 'Trump officials are struggling to lock down trade pacts that they predicted were imminent in the wake of a first deal with the U.K. nearly a month ago. Even early chatter of a deal with Japan by this week's conference appears unlikely, said two people close to the White House, granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. And now, with the U.S. occupied by turmoil in the Middle East, Trump aides and advisers are tempering expectations for what the G7 may ultimately produce.' To wit: 'In a sign of how difficult it could be to present a united front, the summit isn't expected to produce a single joint leaders' statement, or communiqué,' WSJ's Natalie Andrews and colleagues report. 'Instead, the leaders will likely agree to separate statements on topics that Canada has identified as priorities, such as fighting foreign interference in elections and transnational crime and securing supply chains for critical minerals.' 2. HOW IT HAPPENED: 'Inside Trump's Extraordinary Turnaround on Immigration Raids,' by NYT's Tyler Pager and colleagues: 'On Wednesday morning, President Trump took a call from Brooke Rollins, his secretary of agriculture, who relayed a growing sense of alarm from the heartland. Farmers and agriculture groups, she said, were increasingly uneasy about his immigration crackdown. … She wasn't the first person to try to get this message through to the president, nor was it the first time she had spoken to him about it. But the president was persuaded. … 'Inside the West Wing, top White House officials were caught off guard — and furious at Ms. Rollins. Many of Mr. Trump's top aides, particularly Stephen Miller, his deputy chief of staff, have urged a hard-line approach, targeting all immigrants without legal status to fulfill the president's promise of the biggest deportation campaign in American history. But the decision had been made.' Staggering statistic: 'U.S. could lose more immigrants than it gains for first time in 50 years,' by WaPo's Andrew Ackerman and Lauren Kaori Gurley 3. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Facing some criticism from within the Republican Party over how the 'America First' agenda fits into the increasingly tenuous Middle East conflict unfolding, Trump defiantly told The Atlantic's Michael Scherer in a phone call yesterday: 'Well, considering that I'm the one that developed 'America First,' and considering that the term wasn't used until I came along, I think I'm the one that decides that.' (The term dates back several generations.) He continued: ''For those people who say they want peace — you can't have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon. So for all of those wonderful people who don't want to do anything about Iran having a nuclear weapon — that's not peace.' … Over the course of our conversation, the president defended his efforts to bring an end to multiple conflicts despite growing violence in the Middle East. … He described the conflict in Gaza as coming to a close. 'Gaza is ready to fold — or just about ready to fold. We have gotten many of the hostages back,' Trump said. Not everyone in the MAGA universe shares the president's sunny outlook.' On the ground: 'The death toll grew Sunday as Israel and Iran exchanged missile attacks for a third consecutive day, with Israel warning that worse is to come,' per the AP. 'Israel targeted Iran's Defense Ministry headquarters in Tehran and sites it alleged were associated with Iran's nuclear program, while Iranian missiles evaded Israeli air defenses and slammed into buildings deep inside Israel. In Israel, at least 10 people were killed in Iranian strikes overnight and into Sunday … bringing the country's total death toll to 13. … There was no update to an Iranian death toll released the day before by Iran's U.N. ambassador, who said 78 people had been killed and more than 320 wounded.' 4. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Beg your pardon: To secure mercy from Trump, many prospective pardonees are taking a page out of the president's playbook, railing against the judicial system that has long drawn his ire in a bid to increase their chances of winning his favor, POLITICO's Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing and Jerry Wu report. 'The bulk of the over 1,500 clemencies the president has issued in his second term have been granted to celebrities, politicians, Trump donors and loyalists — including those convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — many of whom have used their platforms to make the case that the judicial system was manipulated against them for political reasons, just like the president himself.' 5. CALL LOG: Trump said in a Truth Social post yesterday afternoon that Russian President Vladimir Putin called him to 'very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well.' Trump said the two leaders spoke for roughly an hour but didn't spend much time discussing Russia's war in Ukraine, which 'will be for next week.' Putin is 'doing the planned prisoner swaps,' Trump indicated. 'He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end.' 6. JUSTICE LEAGUE: 'How Amy Coney Barrett Is Confounding the Right and the Left,' by NYT's Jodi Kantor: 'Her influence — measured by how often she is on the winning side — is rising. … Overall, her assumption of the seat once held by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has moved the court's outcomes dramatically to the right and locked in conservative victories on gun rights, affirmative action and the power of federal agencies. But in Trump-related disputes, she is the member of the supermajority who has sided with him the least. That position is making her the focus of animus, hope and debate. In interviews, some liberals who considered the court lost when she was appointed have used phrases like, 'It's all on Amy.'' 7. COME FLY WITH ME: 'Trump's FAA pick has claimed 'commercial' pilot license he doesn't have,' by POLITICO's Oriana Pawlyk: 'Bryan Bedford's biography at Republic Airways, the regional airline where he has been CEO since 1999, said until Thursday that he 'holds commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings.' (By Friday, after POLITICO's inquiries, the word 'commercial' had been removed.) The FAA registry that houses data on pilot's licenses does not list any such commercial credentials for Bedford. … Questions about Bedford's credentials do not appear to threaten his prospects for heading the FAA … 'Bryan never misrepresented his credential; it was an administrative error that was immediately corrected,' DOT said in a statement.' 8. PERPLEXING PLAN: After Trump's surprise announcement last month to take Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public, GOP lawmakers and the mortgage industry are raising questions about the administration's plans to maintain government control over much of the nation's housing finance system, defying expectations that it would back off, POLITICO's Katy O'Donnell reports. 'The insistence on preserving significant sway over the two mortgage giants, which were seized by the Bush administration during the financial crisis and placed in conservatorship, is setting up a potential rift with Republicans — and possibly even some administration aides who have long worked to reduce the government's footprint in the housing market.' 9. EMPIRE STATE OF MIND: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) railed against the political 'gerontocracy' in an appearance to boost Zohran Mamdani in the NYC mayoral race and thump Andrew Cuomo, the frontrunner in the contest, POLITICO's Jeff Coltin reports. AOC also used the rally as a chance to carry forward a message that she has been trumpeting alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) at their 'Fighting Oligarchy' rallies across the nation: 'In a world and a nation that is crying to end the gerontocracy of our leadership, that wants to see a new day, that wants to see a new generation ascend, it is unconscionable to send Andrew Cuomo to Gracie Mansion,' she said. TALK OF THE TOWN Donald Trump disclosed over $600 million in income and $1.6 billion in assets in a new financial disclosure, per WaPo. 'Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance … reported holding cryptocurrency, with Trump owning at least $1 million in ethereum and Vance holding at least $250,000 in bitcoin.' BUZZ OF THE HAMPTONS: The wedding of Alex Soros and Huma Abedin in the Hamptons on Saturday brought out a host of Democratic establishment stalwarts. Among the guest list: Hillary and Bill Clinton, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Anna Wintour, Susie Tompkins Buell and plenty more. NYT's Teddy Schleifer and Jacob Reber have more TEE TIME: The Congressional Country Club hosted its 2025 Presidents' Cup this weekend, with Geoff Tracy and George Ballman coming away as the champions. The full results WELCOME TO THE WORLD — John Pence, general counsel of Frontline Strategies and a Trump campaign alum, and Giovanna Coia, a Trump White House alum, welcomed Ford James Pence on Tuesday. He joins big siblings Jack and … Another pic — Emilia Varrone, ophthalmology resident at VCU Health, and Andrew Hutson, senior media buyer at GMMB, on Thursday welcomed Liv (Livvy) Marie Hutson, who joins older brother Alfred Hutson. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) (6-0), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) (6-0) and Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.) … CNN's Dana Bash, Bianna Golodryga … Karl de Vries … Jana Plat … AP's Evan Vucci … Clifford Levy … MSNBC's Will Rabbe … Alyssa Farah Griffin … PBS NewsHour's Ali Rogin ... Sophie Vaughan … Marie Harf … POLITICO's Brian Faler, and Katherine Tully-McManus … Joseph Brazauskas … Richard Edelman … Team Lewis' Reagan Lawn … Susan Toffler … Wells Griffith … Jeff Green of J.A. Green & Co. … former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (5-0) … former Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) … former House Majority Whip Tony Coelho (D-Calif.) … former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell … Akoya's Corinne Gorda … Dan Schwerin … Eva Bandola Berg Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Klobuchar had dinner with Minnesota pol hours before she was murdered Saturday
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar dined with former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman shortly before before she was tragically gunned down in her home alongside her husband. Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was informed about the heartbreaking loss by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) around 5 a.m. Saturday. 'I wish everyone had known her like we knew her,' Klobuchar told Politico. 'I was there when she was doorknocking in the beginning. … I was in county office and she was seeking the legislative office.' 'She was pretty no-nonsense,' the senator added. 'But in a kind way, with a lot of humor.' Hortman, who served as state speaker from 2019 until January 2025, was killed alongside her husband, Mark, early Saturday in a shooting officials say 'appears to be a politically motivated assassination.' 4 Former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman was a very talented legislator, Sen. Amy Klobuchar reflected. MelissaHortman/Facebook 4 Authorities have yet to apprehend the suspect, Vance Boelter. AP The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, dressed like a police officer when carrying out the attack, according to authorities. A massive manhunt is underway for Boelter. Authorities put out an alert in South Dakota and believe he's 'in the vicinity' of the Midwest, Klobuchar said. Boelter is also accused of shooting and badly wounding Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife. The sicko left behind a manifesto naming 70 politicians, such as Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and the state's congressional delegation. Klobuchar said she was not briefed that she was a potential target. The deranged killer also had 'No Kings' flyers in his vehicle, referring to protests against President Trump held across the country Saturday. Boelter had previously been appointed to key posts by Minnesota governors, including a position on the Workforce Development Council in 2016 under then-Gov. Mark Dayton, and again to that board by Walz in 2019, according to documents. 4 Sen. Amy Klobuchar recieved bolstered security in the wake of the attack. Bloomberg via Getty Images Klobuchar was five years into her tenure as County Attorney of Hennepin County in 2004 when Hortman first ascended into Minnesota's House of Representatives. Around that time, Hortman was juggling her responsibilities of being a politician with teaching Sunday school and leading a Girl Scout troop, Klobuchar recounted. That ability to manage with two kids led her to do 'a really good job managing legislators,' the senator reflected to Politico. Klobuchar recounted how Hortman turned the mute button off that the speaker before her used to stop other lawmakers from interrupting. 'She's like 'I don't need that. I can use the gavel,'' Klobuchar recalled. 'She was just such a skilled legislator at bringing people together.' Klobuchar said she hopes the increased levels of political violence don't deter good people from seeking office. 'I hope good people still run or our democracy won't stand,' she told the outlet. 'This has gotten totally out of hand,' Klobuchar told CNN's 'State of the Union' Sunday. 'With threats against members of Congress in 2016, there were like 1,700 of them. Last year, over 9,000 of them.' 4 The suspect had allegedly worn a mask in addition to a law enforcement uniform. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for bolstered security for Klobuchar and fellow retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) in the wake of the horrifying assassination. 'I asked Capitol Police—as I did earlier this week for Senator Padilla—to immediately increase security for both senators. I thank the Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol Police for increasing security for all three,' Schumer announced Saturday.
New York Post
13 hours ago
- New York Post
Wife of Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman used her body as a ‘shield' to protect daughter during shooting: family
The wife of the wounded Minnesota state senator targeted during an overnight assassination attempt shielded the couple's daughter as the masked gunman opened fire on the family, missing the couple's vital organs by inches, family and reports said. Yvette Hoffman jumped on top of her adult daughter, Hope, while alleged assassin Vance Luther Boetler fired multiple shots at her and State Sen. John Hoffman inside their Minneapolis suburb home early Saturday morning, according to Hoffman's nephew. 'Early this morning, an absolute vile piece of s–t dressed as a cop broke into my aunt and uncle's house and shot him 6 times and my aunt 5 times in a political act of terrorism. My aunt threw herself on her daughter, using her body as a shield to save her life,' Mat Ollig wrote on Facebook. Advertisement One of the bullets narrowly missed the Democratic senator's heart, KARE11 reported. 7 Yvette and Sen. John Hoffman were wounded in a shooting at their Minnesota home on June 14, 2025. Mat Ollig/Facebook Police responded to a 911 call at the residence in Champlin, Minn. just after 2 a.m. and discovered the Hoffmans wounded, rushing them to a hospital where they underwent surgery. Advertisement Ollig revealed his aunt and uncle were out of surgery and in stable condition. Yvette Hoffman was awake and alert in the hospital as of Saturday night, KMSP reported. Hope Hoffman, who is in her 20s, was not hit in the shooting. Bullet holes riddled the front of the Champlin home, the first house he allegedly targeted in his rampage before driving to Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Rep. Melissa Hortman's home in Brooklyn Park. Boelter is accused of fatally shooting Hortman and her husband, Mark, inside their home at around 3:30 a.m. Advertisement 7 The Hoffmans were shot multiple time and underwent surgery. Both are listed as stable. John Hoffman/Facebook 7 Security cameras captured Vance Boelter wanted by the FBI for the shootings. FBI The gunman allegedly posed as a police officer and appeared at the front doorsteps of the Hortman residence and opened fire on the couple, officials announced Rep. Hortman, 55, was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband died at a nearby hospital. Advertisement Brooklyn Park police were notified of the shooting in Champlin and did a check on the Hortmans when they found the masked gunman, wearing a uniform and badge, exiting the home. Officers fired at the gunman, who took cover back inside the home, before he managed to escape. 7 A Champlin police car blocks the road to the Hoffmans' home after the shooting on June 14, 2025. FOX 9 7 The gunman wore a mask and a police uniform and vest during the shootings. FBI Police opened up an urgent search for Boelter, setting up a 3-mile perimeter Saturday morning. A lockdown of homes near the Brooklyn Park shooting was lifted late Saturday, but police urged residents to be alert and not confront any suspicious individuals, and not open doors to solo officers. Boetler's wife, Jenny Boetler, was detained by police for questioning Saturday after being pulled over with several relatives near Onamia, Minn, local KTSP reported. 7 Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman was assassinated alongside her husband at their home in Brooklyn Park, Minn. Melissa Hortman/Facebook Advertisement Boelter was appointed to the non-partisan Workforce Development Council in 2016 by former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. Gov. Tim Walz appointed Boelter to the Workforce Development Board in 2019. His term ran out in 2023. Walz called the shootings on both Hortman and Hoffman a 'politically motivated assassination.' 7 Boelter was appointed to the non-partisan Workforce Development Council in 2016 by former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. HANDOUT/MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Advertisement Boelter left behind a 'manifesto' listing the names of 70 politicians, including Walz and his Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, and a stack of papers stating 'No Kings' in reference to the nationwide anti-Trump protests, according to police. The apparent hit list included abortion providers, clinics and Planned Parenthood, sources told The Post. Both of the Democrats he targeted were pro-choice. Police are weighing whether Boetler held extreme anti-abortion views, the sources said. Hortman was staunchly pro-choice and led the Minnesota House in passing the PRO Act in 2023, which codified the legality of abortion and other forms of reproductive health care. She also boosted funding for abortion clinics and passed protections for providers.
