The family of George Floyd has demanded an apology from the Minnesota Republican Party after delegates held a moment of silence during last weekend’s convention for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering Floyd.
Chauvin is serving concurrent state and federal prison terms totaling 22.5 years and 21 years at a federal penitentiary in Texas. He was convicted in state court of murdering Floyd in May 2020 and later pleaded guilty to federal civil rights violations involving Floyd and a 14-year-old boy in a separate incident from 2017.
At the GOP convention in Duluth, Minnesota, a delegate moved for a moment of silence for Chauvin. The motion was put to a voice vote Saturday morning, and delegates approved it with a brief 10-second pause.
Floyd family attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci issued a statement on Tuesday calling for an immediate retraction and apology from state GOP leaders to the Floyd family and Minnesota residents.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who prosecuted Chauvin in his office as a Democrat, condemned the moment of silence. Ellison expressed he was “heartbroken and frankly shocked” by the gesture.
“George Floyd’s children lost their father,” Ellison stated. “His siblings lost their brother. His community lost a neighbor and friend.”
Ellison added: “That loss is permanent and irreparable. The jury heard all the evidence. The appeals courts reviewed every claim. Justice was rendered according to our system of law.”
To honor the man convicted of murdering George Floyd — days after the anniversary of that terrible day — Ellison described it as “an act of profound cruelty to the Floyd family and to every Minnesotan who believes in accountability under law.”
Alex Plechash, chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party, clarified in a statement that party leadership did not support the motion. He characterized the observance as a “moment of silent prayer” and emphasized it was spontaneous.
“The moment of silent prayer was a floor action taken by delegates, not leadership,” Plechash said. “It was not part of the official convention program, it was not proposed by Convention Chairman Danny Nadeau, and it was not a statement from party leadership.”
Plechash added: “Our focus remains on the work Minnesotans expect from us: endorsing strong candidates, uniting Republicans, and holding Democrats accountable for issues hurting families across our state.”
