A column published by Minnesota’s largest newspaper has drawn intense criticism after it defended Governor Tim Walz’s decision to pardon a convicted child rapist ahead of his deportation.
The state Board of Pardons, composed of Walz, the attorney general, and the chief justice of the state supreme court, voted in June to grant clemency to Tou Lue Vang, a Laotian national convicted in 2006 of felony sexual assault.
Vang had repeatedly raped a child between 2002 and 2004 and was scheduled for deportation before the pardon was issued.
In a column section titled “Cheers to Gov. Tim Walz,” a newspaper opinion writer praised the governor’s refusal to back down from the unanimous pardon vote.
The column did not state that the victim was a minor or that the abuse occurred over a two-year period, though it referenced a letter from the victim supporting clemency.
The writer compared Vang’s crimes to the January 6, 2021 Capitol protests, noting that participants in those events had received presidential pardons.
The comparison prompted sharp rebukes from several public figures and commentators, who called the framing inappropriate and indefensible.
A newspaper spokesperson said the outlet regularly publishes a range of political opinions and that the columnist agreed with the unanimous board decision.
Walz’s defense of the pardon proved ineffective when the individual was deported to Laos in July following termination of his legal status by federal authorities.
Federal officials stated that Vang had admitted to serious crimes against a 10-year-old, attempted to pay the victim for silence, and dismissed the abuse as minor.
Officials said the deportation ensured he would no longer pose a threat within the United States.
Days after the deportation, Walz reaffirmed his decision, questioning whether deportation improved community safety or stability for affected children.
