Pam Bondi puts Minnesota ‘on notice’ after Ellison’s move to defy Trump’s transgender athlete ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Newly sworn in Attorney General Pam Bondi has put Minnesota “on notice” over its plan to buck President Donald Trump’s executive order that bans transgender individuals from participating in girls and women’s sports.

Bondi’s warning to Minnesota comes after state Attorney General Keith Ellison said last week that complying with Trump’s executive order would violate the state’s Human Rights Act.

Bondi warned Ellison that the Department of Justice is prepared to sue states and state entities that do not comply with the president’s order.

“If the Department of Education’s investigation shows that relevant Minnesota entities are indeed denying girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by requiring them to compete against boys, the Department of Justice stands ready to take all appropriate action to enforce federal law,” Bondi said in a letter to Ellison shared with Fox News.

Ellison’s decision was prompted by the Minnesota State High School League’s requesting a formal opinion from his office after the Trump administration opened an investigation into the league, potentially putting the federal funding it receives in jeopardy.

But despite Bondi’s threat, Ellison remained defiant and said he plans to stand by his decision.

“The guidance issued by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office stands,” a spokesperson for his office said in a statement.

Bondi opened her letter by pointing out that the DOJ has already sued New York and Illinois over the states’ immigration laws. She also sent similar warnings to Maine and California.

“I hope it does not come to this. The Department of Justice does not want to have to sue state entities, or seek termination of their federal funds,” Bondi’s letter continued. “We only want states and state entities to comply with the law. And federal law requires giving girls an equal opportunity to participate in sports and athletic events by ensuring that girls need to compete only with other girls, not with boys.”

As Bondi put pressure on Minnesota from Washington, Republican lawmakers in the state have also stepped up efforts to try to prevent boys at birth from competing in girls and women’s sports.

A bill introduced by Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover, would allow only those assigned female at birth to participate in elementary and secondary school sports meant for women and girls.

So how often does it happen? It is unclear. The MSHSL has said it does not require schools to report transgender athletes, stating it would be a violation of Data Privacy laws.

Janet Moore and Jim Paulsen of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this report.