Anders Folk on his campaign for Hennepin County Attorney

(FOX 9) - FOX 9 has extended an invitation to candidates in several of the major races in Minnesota ahead of Election Day. On Monday, Anders Folk, one of the two candidates running for Hennepin County Attorney, joined FOX 9's Rob Olson on All Day. 

Folk's opponent, Cedrick Frazier, is scheduled to appear on All Day at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23. 

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Folk's path from Hopkins to Marines, Hennepin Co. Attorney’s Office

"I grew up in Hopkins, I went to Hopkins High School, I was lucky enough to be a double Golden Gopher. I went to the [University of Minnesota] for my undergrad and law school. I always wanted to serve and in law school I kind of got my chance, and so I decided to join the Marine Corps while still in law school. I went down to officer candidate school while I was a law student. It was an incredible experience. I tell everybody it kind of changed the arc of my life, I think, and it was really an incredible way to kind of learn to lead and learn to serve. I was one of those people who was lucky enough to get hired and do a job that I kind of loved right out of the gate. I was a prosecutor as a student lawyer at the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, and I remember that electricity, that kind of feeling you get when you stand up in court for the first time. I’ve been lucky enough to kind of chase that throughout my career as a lawyer."

Folk's federal prosecution experience and time as acting U.S. attorney

"When I got off active duty in the Marine Corps, I was lucky enough to get hired as a federal prosecutor here in Minnesota and had this incredible opportunity to do everything you think about federal prosecutors doing, whether it was fraud, whether it was gangs, guns, national security cases, the ISIS matters and learn to try cases in front of federal juries here in Minnesota and federal judges. I feel so fortunate to have had that experience and to have that kind of opportunity to get so much experience doing really hard, challenging work really early in my career, frankly. Getting to be the acting U.S. attorney, the chief federal law enforcement officer here in Minnesota in the Biden administration, was for me, at least, kind of a pinch-me moment where I got to help lead an office and lead all these incredibly talented prosecutors through what were some really difficult times, you’ll recall. We were investigating folks who burned Minneapolis after George Floyd’s murder. I signed the indictment charging Derek Chauvin with violating George Floyd’s civil rights. I mean, it was an incredibly busy and important time in that office, and I’m really proud of that."

Folk points to the Anton Lazzaro prosecution as part of his experience

"I helped lead the office in that, and that was, you know, that was a really fascinating case because it involved kind of a high-profile defendant who was involved in really horrific kind of sex-trafficking-type offenses with young women and a real, a real important case, I think, for the office and for Minnesota to ensure accountability."

RELATED: Anton Lazzaro found guilty of sex trafficking minors

Folk says public safety would be his focus as county attorney

"I think the role of a good prosecutor is the role of a minister of justice. This is a role where what’s most important is to have a focus on public safety, and I think for the last four years, we’ve gotten away from that focus. I think the office of the [Hennepin] County Attorney under Mary Moriarty has not focused on public safety the way it needs to and has really been driven by kind of a rhetoric-over-results approach. I want to bring it back to a place where innovative, forward-looking prosecutors are ensuring that every case gets the compassion and the consequence right and that we’re focused on public safety first."

Folk pledges accountability for violent, repeat offenders

"I think I hear this from people every day. Why are we seeing violent repeat offenders kind of return to the streets so quickly? So I want to be clear with all your viewers: Accountability is critical, and I’m committed to that. People who are robbing people, people who are putting guns in people’s faces, people who are carjacking others are going to be held accountable if I’m the county attorney. And my commitment to everyone in Hennepin County is that public safety is the lens through which I view every day on the job. We are going to make sure every action we take is going to make us safer as a community. So that means folks who are putting guns in people’s faces will be held accountable. We’re not going to have a revolving door. At the same time, there are other people for whom that kind of accountability is going to look a little bit different, but for violent and repeat offenders, our gun crimes, our gun criminals, gangs—that is critical that we ensure accountability and get those folks off the streets."

Folk says prosecution should balance accountability with prevention, intervention

"This is where an experienced prosecutor, I think, makes such a big difference, because enforcement and accountability is critical. But at the same time, so is ensuring prevention and intervention in the right cases. I think what we’ve seen for the last four years is a loss of equilibrium and failing to kind of do both things the right way. I tell people all the time, good, experienced prosecutors can get it right. They can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can say if you are putting a gun in someone’s face, you are going to be held accountable, you need to go to jail. And if you’re somebody who’s kind of got more of maybe a mental health issue or a drug addiction issue, a nonviolent kind of issue that brings you into the criminal justice system, we need to work with compassion to do everything we can to keep those folks out of the criminal justice system where appropriate. And so to me, getting that compassion and that consequence right is where the best decisions are made and how the most experienced prosecutors can bring the best results for our community."

Folk says collaboration is key to reducing crime

"I think a good county attorney needs to be a collaborator and needs to quarterback our public safety ecosystem. And I talk all the time about the need to bring together law enforcement, faith community leaders, educators, community leaders who care deeply. Those kinds of collaborative approaches, I think, are what ultimately make us safer, guided by the experience of somebody who’s been in the trenches, done the work and led an office of prosecutors."

Folk questions his opponent’s ties to Moriarty

"Let’s just kind of look at the facts here: My opponent worked very hard to get [Hennepin County Attorney] Mary Moriarty elected. He served as the co-chair of her transition team after she was elected. He stood with her for the last four years during some of her worst decisions, and he is financially supported by the same out-of-state PAC that supported Mary Moriarty. At some level, look, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck … I’d like to know what he’s seen over the last four years that he would change. I’ve heard him give one example of that, and I’d like to know if he supports Mary Moriarty."

Folk proposes federal accountability task force

"It is critical that any federal agent that violated Minnesota law is held accountable. We would expect the Department of Justice in a normal world to do that work, but they’re not, and so the county attorney’s office needs to do it. I proposed a federal accountability task force to really recognize the reality that these cases will almost certainly be removed to federal court from state court, where state prosecutors will kind of follow the case, but a federal judge and a federal jury will be called upon to hear the case if they proceed. I think we need to ensure we have that federal subject matter expertise to ensure accountability."

Folk on why his state, federal experience qualifies him for job

"I think one of the things that makes me really uniquely qualified to do this work is I’ve done state court work in my career and I have deep federal criminal experience. That ability to kind of understand the lay of the land in both federal and state court and the interplay, having done that work throughout my career, having stood in front of juries and judges both in state and federal systems, I think is a background that my opponent just simply doesn’t have."

Folk anticipates a Supremacy Clause defense in cases involving federal agents

"I think the biggest fight ahead is going to be to overcome what I anticipate will be a Supremacy Clause defense that they’re going to put on, and not to go kind of deep into the legal weeds here. But it’s going to be a real fight and we’re, as county prosecutors, going to need to be ready to have that fight. And I’ve put a lot of time into thinking about how we’re going to do that work."

2026 ElectionsHennepin CountyAll DayCrime and Public Safety