Statement by Phillip C. Parrish, Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026
Minnesotans deserve a press that serves truth, not one that bows to elites who manipulate narratives for profit and power. The legacy media, led by outlets like the Star Tribune and Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), have forsaken journalistic integrity, peddling falsehoods that enrich specific individuals while undermining our constitutional republic. As your candidate for Governor in 2026, I vow to expose these deceptions, demand accountability, and restore trust in the information that shapes our free society.
Certain Minnesotans have exploited their influence, using false stories to amass wealth and entrench political control. Here are three egregious examples:
1. Glen Taylor and the 2025 “ICE Raid” Misreport
Glen Taylor, billionaire owner of the Star Tribune, profited by aligning his outlet with DFL agendas, boosting its influence and subscriptions among liberal readers. On June 12, 2025, the Star Tribune falsely reported a federal drug bust on Lake Street as an “ICE raid,” inflaming community fears and rallying DFL voters against perceived Republican policies. This lie, uncorrected for hours, drove online engagement, increasing ad revenue and reinforcing Taylor’s paper as a DFL mouthpiece. By stoking division, Taylor solidified his business ties to Minnesota’s liberal elite, reaping financial rewards while polarizing voters ahead of 2025 special elections. This deception, potentially violating Minn. Stat. § 211B.05, misled the public to serve Taylor’s bottom line.
2. Steve Simon and Dismissal of Election Modem Concerns (2020-2025)
Secretary of State Steve Simon, a DFL powerbroker, gained political capital by leveraging media to dismiss election security concerns, ensuring his re-election and influence. The Star Tribune and MPR, in 2020 and 2025, amplified Simon’s claim that modem-equipped voting machines posed no fraud risk, despite cybersecurity reports like the Hursti Hack exposing vulnerabilities. This false narrative, echoed in Star Tribune editorials, protected Simon’s image as a competent election overseer, securing DFL voter trust and his 2022 re-election. By suppressing debate, Simon avoided scrutiny, consolidating power while the media profited from pro-DFL readership. This misled voters about election integrity, potentially skirting Minnesota’s laws against voter misinformation.
3. Aimee Bock and the Feeding Our Future Fraud (2020-2025)
Aimee Bock, founder of Feeding Our Future, profited massively from a $250 million COVID fraud scheme, enabled by media and political inaction. The Star Tribune and MPR downplayed early fraud allegations in 2020, framing Bock’s nonprofit as a noble effort to feed children. This allowed Bock to siphon millions for luxury homes and travel, as later exposed by federal prosecutors. DFL figures like Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose campaigns received Somali community donations tied to the scheme, benefited politically by avoiding scrutiny. The media’s silence, driven by corporate donors like Cargill, protected DFL voter bases, boosting MPR’s grants and Star Tribune’s subscriptions. Bock’s conviction in 2025 revealed the truth, but the delay enriched her and her allies at taxpayers’ expense.
These false stories—amplified by complicit media—polarized Minnesotans, manipulated elections, and enriched a connected few. The Star Tribune’s failure to counter 2025’s “leftist assassin” lie about Vance Boelter fueled DFL narratives, while MPR’s portrayal of Walz’s COVID “snitch line” as benign shielded his 2022 re-election. Such deceptions, potentially unlawful under Minn. Stat. § 211B.05, erode our constitutional republic by distorting voter choices and public trust.
As a counterterrorism expert, I’ve seen how misinformation destabilizes societies. As Governor, I will fight for journalistic ethics by supporting independent media, auditing media funding, and ensuring transparent state data to counter lies. Minnesotans, not elites, must guide our republic. Join me in 2026 to reclaim truth and hold profiteers accountable.
Phillip C. Parrish
Candidate for Governor of Minnesota 2026
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