The Story of Jacob Frey, Part 2

How did Jacob Frey go from pledges to collaborate with the city council and end homelessness to seemingly endless trench warfare with the council majority and rinse-and-repeat encampent sweeps? In this second part of two, we continue to tell the story of Jacob Frey, starting with the crisis following the murder of George Floyd.

This is PART TWO of two parts. Go back to the prior episode if you want to start with the early years!

We recorded this episode on 10/08/25.

Don't forget to check out:

• Our Instagram account for clips that are easy to browse and share
• Cam's columns in Southside Pride
• Cam's writings in the 2nd Ward Blog

Further reading

Special thanks to

• Heather Silsbee for the presentation on Jacob Frey's record that provided some great points of reference.

George Floyd Uprising and Aftermath

• Official After-Action Report (PDF) on how city government "managed" crises around the uprising.
• George Floyd protest after action audit finds Minneapolis mayor ignored emergency plans coverage in the MN Reformer
• Jacob Frey is a Liar: includes some context on how Frey campaigned on the back of MPD Chief Rondo
• While some city workers are warned against politics, police chief steps to the podium: MN Reformer on the Chief Rondo campaigning episode

Heather Johnston Appointment and Public Whistle-blowing vs. Racist City Work Environment

• Open letter by city staff describing "toxic, racist, and unsafe workplace conditions" (PDF)
• Full video of public hearing testimony on Proposed Heather Johnston Appointment. A couple powerful and emotional highlights from that long session:
  • Elliot Payne, then-contractor on Behavioral Crisis Response, now Council President
  • Gina Obiri, then-city program manager involved with BCR
• Article/interview by Cam on Brian K Smith's experience working as a leader in city government
• 2022 CBS coverage: Minneapolis City Council approves new city coordinator, despite opposition