Minneapolis City Council president says he was never briefed on MPD Chief O'Hara probe despite hearing rumors

Minneapolis City Council members on Wednesday afternoon criticized Mayor Jacob Frey for not disclosing investigations into the police chief's alleged misconduct.

Brian O'Hara resigned late Tuesday after an internal investigation revealed he had tampered with a prior probe that included allegations he had "engaged in sexual intimate relationships" with city employees. While the allegations of the original investigation were not substantiated, Frey called O'Hara's actions a "significant breach of trust."

"The resignation is the right outcome, but it does not resolve the underlying issue of a lack of transparency and accountability," said Council President Elliot Payne. 

Payne noted that Frey had renominated O'Hara for another term on May 6, amid the investigation, and the council was kept in the dark about the allegations. Payne himself said he "had heard rumors" about a review into O'Hara's behavior but was never briefed by the mayor. 

"For us to do our oversight job, we need information. We need to know about allegations, we need to know about open investigations, we need to know about closed investigations," said Payne.

O'Hara's renomination was already under scrutiny by the council as several complaints had been lodged against him by the community, which the chief attributed to Operation Metro Surge. There were also concerns about a ballooning police department budget. 

Council member Robin Wonsley said Frey's renomination of O'Hara was "completely out of step with professional norms." 

Neighboring jurisdictions, including Metro Transit and Golden Valley, had put their police chiefs on administrative leave once allegations triggered investigations into potential misconduct, she said.

The mayor's actions, the council members said, reveal a lack of oversight into the police department and have an "overarching implication" for police accountability.

"I don't make decisions based on rumors and anonymous complaints because that would mean making decisions based on optics not facts. I took action promptly after receiving the investigative report with substantiated findings. That's accountability. But decisions this serious have to be grounded in facts, evidence, and completed investigations. Anything less would be irresponsible," Frey said after the council members' press conference.

As Frey moves to hire the next police chief — with Assistant Chief of Operations Katie Blackwell serving as the acting chief until then – the council members said they should be at the table from the very beginning and actively involved in the search. Frey said he is committed to working with the council on hiring the next chief.

Council member Michael Rainville, who was not at the press conference, wrote an email to his Ward 3 constituents that he was "deeply disappointed at the lack of judgement and breach of trust we all learned about yesterday."

"I believe resigning was the correct decision and look forward to continuing the work of rebuilding and reforming MPD. This is in no way a reflection on the brave women and men of MPD who serve the citizens of Minneapolis every day," he wrote. "They are honorable peace makers and I stand by them"

Payne said he was unaware of the financial terms of O'Hara's separation. 

O'Hara was first sworn in as chief in November 2022, after serving as the deputy mayor of Newark, New Jersey.