Feds deny Walz's request for disaster funds to rebuild after unrest

Photo: Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP. Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a news conference at the Department of Public Safety in St. Paul, Minn. on Saturday, May 23, 2020.

Kyle Brown
Updated: July 11, 2020 01:16 PM
Created: July 11, 2020 12:54 PM

The federal government has denied Gov. Tim Walz's request for disaster aid to rebuild and repair buildings that were damaged in the aftermath of George Floyd's death.

On July 2, Walz asked President Donald Trump to declare a "major disaster" in Minnesota in response to the destruction of public infrastructure that was damaged by fires. Teddy Tschann, a spokesman for the governor's office, confirmed to KSTP the federal government denied his request for support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, adding that Walz was "disappointed."

"As we navigate one of the most difficult periods in our state’s history, we look for support from our federal government to help us through," Tschann said in a statement.

A preliminary assessment estimated $15 million in damage directly related to fires, the governor wrote in his request for financial assistance.

According to Walz's office, looting, fires and vandalism damaged nearly 1,500 businesses in the Twin Cities, and the total damages exceeded $500 million.