AG Ellison granted written assurance that Tennessee company will not provide private security at Minnesota polling places
![In this Wednesday, May 27, 2020, file photo, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison answers questions during a news conference in St. Paul, Minn., about the investigation into the death of George Floyd, who died May 25, while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Sunday, May 31, that he decided Ellison needs to lead the case.](https://kstp.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/kstp_800KeithEllisonMay27APJohnAuteyPioneerPress-1.jpg)
In this Wednesday, May 27, 2020, file photo, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison answers questions during a news conference in St. Paul, Minn., about the investigation into the death of George Floyd, who died May 25, while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Sunday, May 31, that he decided Ellison needs to lead the case.[AP/ John Autey, Pioneer Press]
Attorney General Keith Ellison has won written assuarance that Tennesse-based Atlas Aegis will not be providing private security at or near Minnesota polling places.
According to a release from the Attorney General’s Office, the written assurance states that the company will not provide private security at polling places in Minnseota after a Facebook post from the company had previously stated otherwise.
Atlas Aegis admits that its previous statements were incorrect. The assurance states that they will not intimidate any voters in Minnesota and will communitcate through its channels that it was wrong to suggest it was recruiting security for "protection of election polls" in Minnesota.
“Minnesotans should expect that our elections will run as safely, smoothly, and securely as they always have. One of the reasons is that my office and our partners are actively enforcing our laws against threatening, frightening, or intimidating voters,” Attorney General Ellison said. “I’m holding Atlas Aegis to account for their misstatements about recruiting security for polling places in Minnesota that potentially frightened Minnesota voters. They won’t be doing it again and will not be anywhere in Minnesota before, during, or after Election Day.”
“Minnesota and federal law are clear: it is strictly illegal to intimidate or interfere with voters. I want to make to make it crystal clear to anyone who is even thinking about intimidating voters that I will not hesitate to enforce the laws against it to the fullest extent,” Attorney General Ellison concluded.
This assurance comes after Ellison announced on Tuesday that his office had launched an investigation into Atlas Aegis.