Another scandal is resurfacing for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is Vice President Kamala Harris’ progressive choice for a running mate.
Lisa Hanson, a former wine and coffee bistro owner imprisoned for defying Walz’s lockdown orders, told Fox News Digital that he effectively “shut down and destroyed” her business. She warned Americans, “You do not want tyranny at this level.”
A mother of eight and soon-to-be grandmother of 18, Hanson stressed that, aside from a speeding ticket in her youth, she had always been a law-abiding citizen. Alongside her husband, she ran businesses for over 30 years. In 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, her establishment, The Interchange Wine & Coffee Bistro in Albert Lea, Minnesota, had been successfully operating for eight years.
While her bistro initially adhered to the shutdown orders issued in March, Hanson noted that Walz never fully reopened the state for businesses deemed non-essential, such as bars, restaurants, gyms, dance studios, and hair salons.
In contrast, liquor stores, “big box stores,” and even strip clubs remained open throughout the pandemic. Meanwhile, Republican governors began reopening their states relatively soon after the pandemic began.
“He shut down a lot of the mom-and-pop shops, those folks that were just trying to make a living and provide a great product and a great service,” Hanson told Fox News Digital. “In contrast, he allowed big box stores, etc. to stay open. Really incredible, an incredible use of tyranny against the people.”
Hanson decided to reopen her business in defiance of Walz’s renewed shutdown order for bars and restaurants. She repeated this action six times between December 2020 and January 2021. In December 2021, she was convicted on misdemeanor charges and received the maximum penalty: 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Hanson served 60 days of her sentence.
“This is the story that America needs to hear, that Tim Walz is not some cuddly, joyful coach, like all the things that the MSMs are calling him,” Hanson told the outlet. “That is not who this man is. This man would like to take your rights away. He will take your rights away. Because what happened to me could have happened to anybody. What happened to me will happen to you.”
“My family has paid a dear price. While I was in jail, I missed out on Christmas with my family, I missed out on my wedding anniversary, and I also missed out on the birth of one of my grandchildren,” Hanson continued. “I can never have that time back. That time was stolen from me. My business was destroyed. My business is gone. After everything that happened, Tim Walz and Keith Ellison [Minnesota attorney general] destroyed my business. They wrecked my life.”
“I’ve heard some people say that Tim Walz is a real nice guy. Yeah, well, he’s not. Take my word for it,” Hanson added. “Through this whole process, I’ve gotten to know other people. Similar things have happened to them when they were trying to run their business and survive. Mostly women, by the way. So Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison really like to go after women. They’re bullies.”
WATCH:
