Watch: Governor Tim Walz gives update on two lawmakers shot in Minnesota
Watch as Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz confirmed that State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed in what he described as a 'politically motivated assassination.'
State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot but are 'out of surgery,' the governor said in a press conference (14 June).
'We are cautiously optimistic they will survive,' he added. The suspect remains at large after exchanging gunfire with police at the Hortmans' home and fleeing the scene. Residents are urged not to approach the suspect and to call 911.
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Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Slain lawmaker tearful as she broke with fellow Democrats just five days before 'political assassination'
A Democrat lawmaker who broke with her party over health care coverage for illegal migrants was seen near tears just five days before she was fatally shot. Minnesota Rep Melissa Hortman was seen welling up as she cast a vote in favor of repealing eligibility for undocumented adults to access the state's subsidized health insurance scheme. She was the lone Democratic vote on Tuesday in favor of the motion to restrict access to MinnesotaCare. The vote passed by 68 to 65. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Hortman's decision did not come lightly. Following the late-night legislative session, which adjourned just before 11 pm, she appeared visibly emotional in a post-meeting interview. 'What I worry about is that people will lose their health insurance. I know that people will be hurt by that vote, and I'm...' Hortman, 55, said, with tears welling in her eyes. After briefly pausing to compose herself, she continued: 'We worked very hard to try to get a budget deal that wouldn't include that provision. 'And we tried any other way we could to come to a budget agreement with Republicans and they wouldn't have it.' Hortman's decision was met with an immediate backlash from her party and constituents as many viewed her vote as a betrayal of the progressive values she had long championed. 'This bill is cruel. It is inhumane. And it will cost real human, Minnesotan lives,' Democratic Representative Jamie Long said. 'They turned all of those things down, because all they wanted was to make sure that the 17,000 people were left out to die, that we worsen our healthcare system and that we decrease our tax revenue,' Democratic Senator Alice Mann said at a Monday press conference denouncing the repeal. Despite the criticism, those close to Hortman said her vote reflected a deep-seated belief in fiscal responsibility, as the state faces a projected $6 billion budget deficit by 2028, CBS reported. Just days later, on Saturday, Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home in what Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has labeled a 'politically motivated assassination.' The alleged shooter, Vance Luther Boelter, a former appointee of Walz's, posed as a police officer and was found with a manifesto naming nearly 70 individuals - including Hortman - indicating a coordinated plan to target political figures. Just before his attack on the State Representative, Boelter gravely injured State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, shooting them while they were asleep in their Champlin home - eight miles from Hortman's suburban neighborhood. An extensive search effort followed as members from local police, sheriff's deputies, and the FBI scanned the Minnesota suburb for any signs of the alleged killer who remains at large. Though authorities have confirmed the discovery of Boelter's alleged manifesto, a clear motive for the early morning shootings has not been revealed. The tragedy comes on the same day protesters were set to gather in St Paul for planned protests against President Donald Trump in events promoted as 'No Kings' demonstrations. The gatherings were timed for the same day Trump will be attending a military parade in Washington, DC, to mark the Army's 250th anniversary - and amid heightened tensions with National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles to counter anti-ICE protests there. The tragedy has since drawn widespread condemnation as leaders from both parties have denounced the violence and called for unity. Speaking at a press conference Saturday, Walz said: 'We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence. Those responsible for this will be held accountable.' President Donald Trump added: 'Our Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the FBI, are investigating the situation, and they will be prosecuting anyone involved to the fullest extent of the law. 'Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!' Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack 'evil' and said she was 'heartbroken beyond words' by the deaths of Hortman and her husband. 'With the law enforcement response ongoing and details still emerging, I will simply ask all Minnesotans to please lift up in prayer the victims of this horrific attack, as well as the law enforcement personnel still working to apprehend the perpetrator,' Demuth said in a statement. Reaction: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (pictured) called the killings 'an act of targeted political violence' while speaking at a press conference on Saturday Hortman, a lawyer and legislator for two decades, served as House Speaker from 2019 to 2025. She represented a safely Democratic district and consistently won re-election by large margins. She was instrumental in advancing major legislation in 2023, including expanding abortion rights, legalizing recreational marijuana and mandating paid family and medical leave. In 2024, during a partisan deadlock, Hortman led a Democratic boycott in a dispute over chamber control. Once election challenges were settled, she allowed Republican Lisa Demuth to assume the speakership. She is survived by her two children. Her husband, Mark, was also killed in the Saturday attack.
The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
How glam lawyer turned lawless ‘Lady Mafia' scammer swindled $10m from pals and clients – and blew it all in Las Vegas
SARA King – AKA Lady Mafia – had the designer clothes, pink champagne and a husband descended from royalty – but her addiction to excitement turned this glam American lawyer into a lawless criminal. Dressed in head-to-toe Christian Dior, Sara looked every inch the high-powered lawyer as she strutted into federal court in Orange County, California. 8 8 Her hair extensions were pulled back into a sleek bun and she was ready to do business. But she wasn't there to defend a client. It was the summer of 2023 and the 41-year-old attorney was facing charges of financial fraud and money laundering. It was part of a criminal career that saw her swindle an estimated $10million from friends and business associates to fund a lavish lifestyle that included designer clothes, jewellery, a suite at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel and the best seat in all the casinos. In a case that both baffled and gripped America, King was dubbed ' the Anna Delvey of the OC ', 'the Slot Whisperer' and – her favourite nickname – 'Lady Mafia.' After pleading guilty to her crimes, she was sentenced on May 5 this year by an Orange County federal judge to 21 months in prison, and ordered to pay more than $8million in restitution. Her shocking story has been laid bare in podcast The Binge Crimes: Lady Mafia, in which investigative journalist Michele McPhee spends hours with the glamorous scammer trying to unpick her tall tales. 'Her charisma pulls people in. She's obviously very attractive – she's not just pretty, she's glamorous – so I'm sure that helped her navigate her way around the shady underbelly," Michele tells Fabulous. 'I think she spent most of the money on clothes. She's one of those people who has to be head-to-toe in designer labels,' says Michele, who believes that King doesn't quite comprehend the damage she has done, and points out that she changes her story many times during the podcast. 'It's very unusual that somebody would participate in anything like this podcast before they've faced a judge [for sentencing]. But I think she was motivated by wanting people to think she's innocent and that it was all a big mistake.' King grew up in Newport Beach, Orange County, home to sprawling mansions, golf courses and Ferraris. Anna Delvey dons neon prison suit on video call from ICE custody Money wasn't tight, and her parents enjoyed a happy marriage and were successful insurance brokers. She wanted what they had – and more. Before embarking on a life of dodgy deals, King built a successful career in law, fuelled by her burning ambition to be a badass businesswoman instead of a trophy wife. 'I wanted to be the 'It' girl. I wanted to have a seat at the boys' table, without sleeping around,' she said in the podcast. 'I can sell anything. I can sell fire to the devil.' With a million-dollar home in Newport Beach, and an ambitious husband, Gerar Jamal – a consultant in the environmental industry, who she married in 2014 – King soon had everything she'd dreamed of. But she didn't stop there. I wanted to have a seat at the boys' table. I can sell anything – I can sell fire to the devil Sara King Describing her high-flying job at a law firm as 'a lot of work and not a lot of money,' by 2017 King was looking for new opportunities to fund her pink-champagne lifestyle. She and Gerar began to invest in different ventures, including money lending, where they would rake in high interest for funding short-term loans. King – who hung out in Orange County's hottest spots, where she met men who'd offer her more chances to invest in their dodgy deals – said: 'I was looking for a way out of law. It was so miserable and I needed to make money.' She soon earned a reputation as a 'fixer' who could help rich people get anything they wanted, from prostitutes to puppies. In May 2018, after her marriage had broken down, a mutual friend introduced her to Kamran Pahlavi, the handsome grandson of Iranian Princess Ashraf, who apparently invested in real estate. After a two-hour dinner in Beverly Hills, the pair clicked. 'I was just taken aback by the pizzazz of it all,' said King. 'I felt a connection, and to this day I wish I never did. 'He told me, 'I have no money, all my watches are fake, I have nothing to my name, so if that's what you're interested in, please walk.' He came clean about everything, saying, 'I have a lot of baggage, I have three ex-wives, I have kids. But I want to make something of myself'.' Fixer for the rich Besotted, King suggested they start a business together – but the pressure to make more money led her to take more risks. 'I think they genuinely had love for each other,' says Michele. 'She was the female Bernie Madoff [the US fraudster who was jailed for operating a dodgy 'pyramid' investment scheme] and he was the real housewife of Orange County, who got to sit around and not do much.' In January 2022, business was booming for her company, King Family Lending. She established herself as someone who could supply short-term loans to celebrities and professional athletes – as long as they were happy to pay the 30% interest. Hobnobbing with NFL stars, including Tom Brady, bragging about her high-profile connections and shopping for designer clothes were all in a day's work for her. 8 8 She also reportedly harboured ambitions of going into politics. She and Kamran married in February 2022 – but behind the facade, King was doing less lending and more spending. She was using her investors' money – which was intended to fund high-interest loans – to splash out on her own lavish lifestyle and gambling habit. And the collateral she claimed she had collected to guarantee them didn't exist. By November 2022, Kamran had called time on their relationship – later claiming it was due to all her lies – and moved to Morocco. By the end of the year, they were divorced, after Kamran cited 'irreconcilable differences'. Meanwhile, King moved into a $6,000-a-night suite at the Wynn in Vegas, which she'd been gifted because she was such a 'good customer' – complete with marble counters, a private infinity pool and a butler. 8 In the casinos, where she was once known as The Slot Whisperer for her winning streaks, King's luck was starting to run out. At one point, she was gambling away $20,000 a day. 'I always had that kind of money, so 20 grand a day is no big deal,' she said. 'It got scarier when I was dropping $50,000 to $100,000 a day.' On November 11, 2022, it all fell apart. King was lying in the bath of her suite when hotel staff burst into her room and ordered her to leave. Gambling $20k a day A Beverly Hills lawyer named Ronald Richards, who was representing one of the clients she'd swindled, was on her tail and had informed the Wynn of her dodgy deals. He also set about shutting her gambling down by making sure she was barred from casinos. 'As she got kicked out of each one, I'd call her and say, 'How was your escort today?' because I wanted her to know I was on to her,' Ronald told Michele in the podcast. 'Sometimes she was mad, because she was embarrassed. I told her, 'I'm going to cut off everything you like to do. Your days of gambling are over and we'll make sure no casino allows you to ever wager a dollar'.' On February 11, 2023, he filed a lawsuit against King on behalf of the man named 'Laurent R', just one of the investors in King Family Lending who'd lost millions, and the federal prosecutor drew up a criminal complaint of wire (financial) fraud and money laundering charges. Ronald also tipped off the media, and King hit the headlines for being a scammer. That's when she realised she'd reached the end of the road. In March 2023, she checked herself into rehab – then checked out again, heading to her LA apartment, where eviction notices were waiting for her. Betrayal, lies and theft Her parents took her home to Orange County, then her mum drove her to the FBI headquarters in Los Angeles. There was no warrant for her arrest, so she claims she wrote to the Attorney General to get a meeting about her case. In June 2023, King appeared in federal court and pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering, admitting she'd caused five investors to lose more than $8million. Three of them – all former close friends – were watching from the gallery, including trauma surgeon Amal Obaid-Schmid, who'd lost her family's life savings of $400,000. While King agreed to pay restitution of at least $8,785,045, the real total of her scamming has been estimated to be nearer to $10million, with more possible victims who, as yet, haven't come forward. Before King's sentencing, which was postponed twice, she was lying low in a small apartment with her parents back in Orange County and joking that she was taking Prozac to get through it all. Kamran is still in Morocco, a non-extradition country, and hasn't faced any charges. 'She betrayed me. Lied to me. Stole from me. Embarrassed me. Humiliated me. That's not bad for a reason to break up,' he has said. He added: 'When I realised what she had done, I left and never looked back. To tell you the truth, it kills me to do this, but she is sick and she needs to be stopped before she scams the wrong person and she gets in real trouble.' He also claimed that King had sent him threatening messages following their split, including one that warned: 'Just wait and see, your time is coming.' 'Obviously, he's going to want to separate himself from all this,' says Michele. Anna Delvey comparisons While awaiting her sentencing, King tried to find employment. 'Everybody recognised her, so she couldn't work,' reveals Michele, who says she forged a genuine friendship with King over the course of making the podcast. 'She got a job at Nordstrom [the department store], but got fired once they realised who she was, so ended up working as a home helper for the elderly, which was a huge step down. 'People have compared her to Anna Delvey, but Sara herself points out she's not a total fraud because she had money, she was an attorney and she's savvy,' says Michele. 'I have respect for her work ethic. She was definitely a hustler and that's what's so mesmerising. She could have easily lived that Real Housewives life and gone to Pilates at the country club all day long, but she wanted to work. 'She's a smart woman, but she had such a facade, and she told so many little white lies.'
BBC News
43 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Immigrant City' - Angel City respond to LA raids
Los Angeles-based side Angel City wore shirts reading 'Immigrant City Football Club' before their home National Women's Soccer League game against North players' show of support was a response to the ongoing raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the resulting protests in Los club printed 10,000 T-shirts which read 'Immigrant City Football Club' on the front and 'Los Angeles is for everyone / Los Angeles es para todos' on the were handed shirts when they entered BMO Stadium, while Angel City management and coaching staff also wore them."Los Angeles is and always will be an immigrant city," said Angel City's senior social media co-ordinator Yaoziuatl Martinez. "'Immigrant City FC' points to the make-up of not just the city itself and how we represent it, but who our team is."Our team is made up of immigrants. Our staff is made up of immigrants. It's just very plainly reflecting what and who we are as an organisation."Before kick-off singer and actress Becky G, an Angel City founding investor and LA native, read a statement from the club that was distributed in card form to read: "The fabric of this city is made of immigrants. Football does not exist without immigrants. This club does not exist without immigrants."Speaking after the 2-1 defeat, Angel City defender and club captain Ali Riley said: "Football, the game that we all love, we have it here because of immigrants."It's played the way it is because of immigrants. This club that is such a huge part of me wouldn't be here without immigrants."Earlier this week the NWSL Players Association released a statement in conjunction with the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Players Association about the read: "We stand with all people seeking safety, dignity, and opportunity, no matter where they come from or where they hope to go."Every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. We know not every situation is simple. But offering compassion should never be up for debate."The NWSL has not made a weekend Los Angeles FC fans unfurled an 'Abolish ICE' banner in the stands before kick-off and sat in silence throughout the 3-1 MLS victory over Sporting Kansas Gold Cup match against the Dominican Republic in LA on Saturday passed without Friday Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum urged US authorities not to conduct immigration enforcement targeting fans at SoFi Stadium in Mexico team were forced to change hotels before the match because of security considerations.
