Attorney General Investigates Auto Companies

MORE AT EDUCATIONMINNESOTA.ORG.

>> Cathy: LATER IN THE HOUR WE'LL LEARN ABOUT THAT POTENTIAL RENOVATION PROJECT ON THE CAPITOL MALL.

WE'LL HELP YOU MAKE SENSE OF THE CONTROVERSIAL ROOF DEPOT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN THE PHILLIPS FOOD OF SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS.

FIRST UP IN THE HOUR THE DRAMATIC RISE IN AUTO THEFTS AND A PLAN TO DEAL WITH THEM.

>> AUTO THEFTS ARE ON THE RISE BUT NOT RANDOMLY.

TWO TYPES OF CARS, KIAS AND HYUNDAIS ARE AMONG THE FAVORITES FOR AUTO THIEVES.

THAT'S BECAUSE SOME MODELS USE TRADITIONAL KEYS WITHOUT SOFTWARE CHIPS THAT MAKE THEM EASY TO STEAL.

MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL KEITH ELLISON HAS LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION INTO WHETHER THE TWO AUTOMAKERS HAVE VIOLATED THE STATE'S CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS.

GREAT TO HAVE YOU.

YOU'RE CALLING FIRE CIVIL INVESTIGATION OF THESE TWO CAR COMPANIES.

>> YEAH, WE HAVE BEGUN A CIVIL INVESTIGATION.

>> Eric: WHAT'S THE WORK PRODUCT THERE?

WHAT DO YOU DO?

>> WELL, WE WILL DO, WE WILL SERVE INTERROGATORIES, DON'T HAVE TO GIVE WRITTEN RESPONSES, WE MIGHT DO DEPOSITIONS AND TAKE STATEMENTS UNDER OATH.

WE'LL DEMAND DOCUMENTS AND THEN IF WE FIND THAT THERE'S BEEN A VIOLATION OF OUR CONSUMER STATUTES WE WILL FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT OR IF WE ENTER INTO A SETTLEMENT WE'LL HOLD THEM TO THAT AND WHAT WE REALLY WANT AND ME AND MAYOR CARTER AND MAYOR FREY WE ALL JOINED TOGETHER IN A LETTER AND SAID TO THEM YOU NEED TO HAVE A RECALL AND FIX THESE CARS.

>> THE REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING YOU GUYS ARE DUCKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR CAR THEFTS BY PUTTING THE ONUS ON A COUPLE CAR COMPANIES.

>> YOU KNOW, I WISH THEY WOULD GIVE CREDIT TO BRIAN O'HARA AND CHIEF AXEL HENRY IN ST. PAUL AND COMMISSIONER CEDRICK ALEXANDER.

THEY ARE REPORTING THEY'RE HAVING SOME SUCCESS, THEY'RE PUSHING THE NUMBERS DOWN, BUT WHAT THEY'RE ASKING US TO DO, POLICE LEADERS ARE ASKING US TO DO IS TO PREVENT THESE THEFTS, NOT JUST GO AFTER FOLKS AFTER THEY'VE BEEN STOLEN.

WE NEED TO DO BOTH.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE REPUBLICAN ARGUMENT IS THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU CAN HAVE BOTH/AND.

WE HAVE TO GO AFTER THE CRIMINALS AND WE GOT TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR THEM TO TEAL PEOPLE'S CARS, BOTH WHAT WE NEED.

>> THIS IS MORE THAN JUST STOLEN CARS, RIGHT?

>> OH, MY GOD.

THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT.

THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HIGH SPEED CHASES THAT RESULT IN 265 ACCIDENTS, THERE HAVE BEEN SHOOTINGS, ABOUT 13 OF THEM.

THERE'S BEEN FIVE DEATHS INCLUDING A HMONG ELDER, A WOMAN NAMED FOUA HANG, A BELOVED ELDER LOST HER LIFE BECAUSE OF THIS.

THERE WAS A 16 KID WHO LOST HIS LIFE IN A SINGLE CAR INCIDENT.

IT'S MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE VICTIMS OF THESE THEFTS.

YOU TALK TO THESE FOLKS AND SAY THEY, LOOK, I FEEL VERY VICTIMIZED, BROKEN GLASS, ON I FEEL VIOLATED SO THAT'S BAD ENOUGH AND THE OTHER STUFF IS REALLY HORRIFIC.

WE CAN USE CONSUMER PROTECTION TO ADDRESS STRAW PURCHASERS OF GUNS, WE CAN USE IT TO PROBLEM PROPERTIES, WE FILED A NUISANCE ACTION AT THE CORNER OF LYNDALE AND BROADWAY IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS AND AFTER WE FILED THAT NOTICE OF A NUISANCE ACTION THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANOTHER INCIDENT SINCE THEN.

A LOT OF CREDIT GOES TO THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS BUT THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS TO ROMOTE SAFETY USING CIVIL TOOLS AS WELL AS OF COURSE THE CRIMINAL TOOLS AS WELL.

>> Cathy: I ASSUME TOO IF YOU OWN ONE OF THESE CARS, IGHT, YOU PROBABLY CAN'T SELL IT.

>> OH, THE MARKET IS GETTING BAD.

AND, YOU KNOW, KIA AND HYUNDAI OUGHT TO LISTEN TO US BECAUSE THE REPUTATIONAL HARM TO THEIR PRODUCT IS DEVASTATING.

AND IF THEY FIXED IT AND THEY DID THE RECALL THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR HEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO TURN THINGS AROUND BUT THEIR REPUTATION IS BAD.

NOW, LET ME TELL YOU, ABOUT 25% OF KIAS AND HYUNDAIS HAVE THESE IMMOBILIZERS.

BUT 98% OF ALL OTHER CARS DO, WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE SO EASILY STOLEN.

AND ON TIK TOK ADVERTISING HOW TO STEAL THESE KIND OF CARS.

I WILL SAY HYUNDAI AND KIA HAVE MADE SOME MEASURES TO GIVE PEOPLE CLUBS AND THEY'VE EVEN GOT THESE SORT OF ELECTRONIC FIX BUT IT'S STILL WEAK SAUCE.

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE, WE NEED A RECALL.

>> Eric: DID I READ SOMEWHERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA THERE'S CLUBS TO TARGET THESE CARS AND KIND OF A TALLY OF HOW MANY YOU'VE GOTTEN >> >> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE KIA BOYS.

>> Eric: YEAH.

>> NOW, THIS IS AN ORGANIZED GANG WHO STEALS THESE KIND OF CARS BECAUSE THEY FIGURED OUT HOW TO, YOU KNOW, HOTWIRE THESE RIDES.

AND SO SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT HELPING, AND I'LL TELL YOU THIS, WE HAVE NOT BEGUN A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AGAINST TIK TOK FOR THIS KIA MESS, BUT IT HAS OCCURRED TO ME.

AND WE THINK THAT THEY HAVE RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL.

THERE'S SOME FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES WHICH WE OF COURSE RESPECT, BUT IF YOU'RE INSTRUCTING PEOPLE ON HOW TO STEAL A CAR, THAT'S BEYOND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, I THINK.

>> Cathy: SO I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHAT THE DEALERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS.

I MEAN, ONE GUY WAS TESTIFYING SAYING THE STATES ARE NOT THE PLACE TO SET, TO WEIGH IN ON VEHICLE DESIGN IN A SENSE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?

>> WELL, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WRONG.

IN FACT, YOU KNOW, THE STATES ARE THE LABORATORIES WHERE SO MANY THESE KIND OF CONSUMER CASES GET STARTED.

THE OPIOID CASES GOT STARTED IN THE STATES, SO DID THE TOBACCO CASES GET STARTED IN THE STATES.

THE FIRST PEOPLE STARTED SUING WITH THE FORECLOSURE CRISIS WAS STATES.

ONE OF THE REASONS I LEFT CONGRESS TO BE ATTORNEY GENERAL BECAUSE YOU CAN DO A LOT IN THE STATES.

WE ARE NOW IN COMMUNICATION WITH FOLKS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, SEATTLE THAT HAVE SUED THE SAME DEFENDANTS.

WE HAVEN'T EVEN FILED OUR LAWSUIT, THEY'RE AHEAD OF US IN THAT REGARD.

NO STATES HAVE SUED BUT I'VE TALKED TO COLLEAGUES AND THEY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.

>> Eric: MINUTE LEFT.

HIRING YOUR NEW CRIMINAL PROSECUTORS YET?

>> WE ARE ON THE MOVE.

>> Eric: WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?

>> WELL, SO HIRING HAS CLOSED.

WE HUT PUT IT OUT THERE, WE ADVERTISED, WE GOT A BUNCH OF RESUMES IN.

THAT DEADLINE HAS COME AND GONE AND NOW WE'RE INTERVIEWING PEOPLE AND I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE GROUP WE HAVE.

I MEAN, I AM SO GRATEFUL TO OUR COUNTY ATTORNEYS WHO'VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF US, AND WE WILL HAVE A FULL COMPLIMENT IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

SOME OF THEM KIND OF NEW, ON OTHER ONES VERY EXPERIENCED.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPELLATE AND TRIAL EXPERIENCE.

BUT I MEAN THE LEGISLATURE HAS JUST RESTORED THE CRIMINAL DIVISION OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE.

THIS IS REMARKABLE.

WE HAVEN'T BEEN HERE SINCE SKIP HUMPHREY.

I'M SO PROUD OF THIS WORK.

>> Eric: WE'LL BE