Hennepin County records indicate that more than $500,000 in taxpayer funds has been paid for private security protecting County Attorney Mary Moriarty since late 2023. The spending has prompted criticism because Moriarty has publicly argued that concerns about crime in Minneapolis are exaggerated, while opponents say her security arrangements appear inconsistent with that position.

Payments to Relative Intel reportedly totalled $10,950 in 2023, $103,825 in 2024, $183,875 in 2025 and $214,573 through 28 August 2026. The county cited two contracts worth $115,000 and $500,000, but differing totals emerged depending on whether contract or supplier-payment records were used. Critics also referred to Moriarty’s decision not to charge Carlton Johnson II after an alleged assault; Johnson later killed two neighbours and injured five others in a September mass shooting before being killed by police. Moriarty’s term ends in January 2027.