Fact check: Gov. Walz’s appointment of Minnesota shooting suspect to advisory board

Vance Boelter, 57, is in the Sherburne County Jail on Tuesday in Elk River, Minnesota, facing several federal and state charges for the shootings that killed a state representative and her husband, and wounded a state senator and his wife. 

Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot inside their Brooklyn Park home overnight Saturday. About 90 minutes before that, police say Boelter shot Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin. Both Hoffmans were struck multiple times and are still recovering. 

About six years ago, Boelter was appointed to the Minnesota Governor’s Workforce Development Board by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. But what exactly does being appointed to that board mean? 

What we know about Boelter’s appointment on workforce board

State records show Boelter served two consecutive three-year terms on the workforce development board, first appointed by then-Gov. Mark Dayton in 2016. Three years later, Walz reappointed him. 

A spokesperson for Walz’s office gave this statement to WCCO on Tuesday:

“There are thousands of volunteers of all political persuasions who serve on hundreds of these boards. That particular board has over 60 people on it. The Governor does not interview applicants for these roles and he does not know Boelter. They are not appointments to a position in the Governor’s cabinet. These boards and commissions have no authority to make decisions, change laws, or implement policies.”

According to the workforce development board’s website, it “represents key leaders from business, education, labor, community-based organizations, and government,” with the board providing “a venue for workforce stakeholders building on a shared vision and mission.”

Boelter’s expertise was rooted in his work as a general manager at a Speedway gas station. 

During Boelter’s second term, which ended in January 2023, he served alongside Sen. John Hoffman. It’s unclear at this point if the two worked closely.

David Schultz, political science professor at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, says under state law, the governor appoints hundreds of people to dozens of boards across the state, ranging in topics as disparate as amateur sports, mosquito control and tourism.

Schultz says appointees are unpaid and the state’s boards are more technical than political, with bipartisan appointments and, essentially, citizen volunteers. The governor’s role, according to Schultz, is more ceremonial. 

“They’re not vetted or reviewed personally by the governor. In many cases, this is done as it should be, by subordinates, you know, who then bring to the governor the recommendations,” Schultz said. “And this is no different than what we would find in business and industry, where we don’t expect the president of most companies to be involved in the hiring for every position.” 

Schultz says people are oftentimes allowed to serve a couple of terms. Additionally, each board has different meeting requirements. Some meet just once a year, while others meet more frequently. And because these were statewide appointments, meetings often happened over Zoom, especially after the COVID pandemic. 

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, who was previously lieutenant governor under Gov. Mark Dayton and also served as his chief of staff, echoed Schultz that governors don’t directly choose board appointments.

“Those workforce training councils or groups are very much not political, and the governor would often appoint people to those committees that they did not know personally, but were recommended by industry groups,” she said in an interview with WCCO.  

FBI: Boelter extensively planned attacks, researched his victims

The FBI says Boelter extensively planned and researched his victims. Inside his SUV left outside the Hortmans’ home, police found high-powered guns and ammunition. 

They also found pages of handwritten notebooks with the names of more than 45 Minnesota state and federal public officials. Melissa Hortman‘s name was on that list, according to authorities, with her home address written next to her name. 

Boelter also visited the homes of two other lawmakers early Saturday. One wasn’t home, and Boelter was scared away from Democratic state Sen. Ann Rest’s New Hope home as police drove past him. 

Rest released a statement on Tuesday saying she’s grateful for the heroic work of the New Hope Police Department, whose “quick action saved my life.” 

Congressional leadership in Washington, D.C. held a meeting on Tuesday about Saturday’s shootings, with some members stating they feel current security protocols are inadequate.

There is also a security debate amongst legislators at the Minnesota State Capitol. The building, much like other state capitols, doesn’t have metal detectors or security screenings at its various points of entry.

Stephen Swanson and

Caroline Cummings

contributed to this report.

More from CBS News

Beret Leone is a native Minnesotan who joined the WCCO team as a reporter in September 2022 – and she’s thrilled be back home in the Twin Cities! Beret grew up in Chaska and graduated from Bethel University.

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