Overview

Amy Jean Klobuchar is a U.S. Senator from Minnesota; serving since 2007; and a former candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Before the Senate; she served as Hennepin County Attorney from 1999 to 2007. Her prosecutorial record became deeply controversial during the 2020 George Floyd protests when it was revealed that she had declined to bring charges against police officers involved in multiple fatal shootings during her tenure; including cases involving Derek Chauvin; the officer who later murdered George Floyd. As County Attorney; Klobuchar sent cases involving police killings to grand juries rather than filing charges directly; a practice critics argued was designed to shield officers from accountability. At least two dozen people died in encounters with police during her tenure; and no officers were charged. Her failure to prosecute Chauvin in a 2006 case where he was involved in the fatal shooting of Wayne Reyes was highlighted as a direct precursor to Floyd's murder. This record cost her serious consideration as Biden's vice presidential pick in 2020. In the Senate; she has focused on antitrust regulation of Big Tech and election security; but has been criticized for her harsh treatment of staff; with reports of throwing binders and office objects at employees and having one of the highest staff turnover rates in the Senate.

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