Minneapolis lawmakers distance themselves from 'defund the police' movement after $8M budget cuts

Two Minneapolis City Council Members are denying their involvement with the "defund the police" movement just days after the council approved a budget that shifted approximately $8 million from the police department and months after they joined colleagues in calling for the dismantlement of the Minnesota city's department.

City Council Member Steve Fletcher rejected the idea that the council's goal was to defund the police during a recent interview with local news station KSTP-TV – and instead said the budget cuts came as a result of the need to fund other programs.

"'Defund' is not the framework the council has ever chosen," Fletcher said during the interview that aired this week. He was seated next to Council Member Phillipe Cunningham, who agreed.

Fletcher and Cunningham were two of the nine city council members who attended an event in June where they stood behind a sign that stated "defund police" and said they would dismantle the police department, just weeks after the May 25 death of George Floyd, according to the report.