George Howard, AKA Ricco Passmore | Courtesy: Hennepin County Jail
George Howard, AKA Ricco Passmore | Courtesy: Hennepin County Jail
A controversial bail fund promoted by Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris helped free numerous individuals accused of violent crimes, including a Minnesota man who is facing murder charges.
48-year-old George Howard was freed on August 6, 2021 by the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) on $11,500 bond, in connection with a domestic assault case.
Just 3 weeks after being bailed out, Howard was involved in a road rage incident with another driver on an interstate 94 entrance ramp.
Saint Paul TV station KSTP reported that surveillance video showed the driver of a blue BMW confronting Howard who was driving a white Volvo. In the footage, the BMW driver can be seen collapsing after punching Howard.
The driver, later identified as 38 year old Luis Damien Martinez Ortiz, got back into his car and drove into the median. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital with a gunshot wound to his chest.
Howard was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with Ortiz’s death on August 29.
Following the shooting, the MFF released a statement on Twitter admitting that the organization was “aware of reports of the tragic fatal shooting in Minneapolis allegedly involving George Howard, an individual the Minnesota Freedom Fund had previously provided with bail support.”
The group added, "MFF believes that every individual who has been arrested by the law enforcement is innocent until proven guilty, and if a judge deems them eligible for bail, they should not have to wait in jail simply because they don’t have the same income or access to resources as others."
That post was later deleted from Twitter but was preserved by the Internet Archive.
In a follow-up tweet, the group stated:
“Under new leadership, MFF has implemented changes to its policies and procedures, and we will continue to assess them to ensure that we are being responsive to the safety and needs of our community.”
As early as September 2020, questions were being raised about multiple individuals accused of violent crimes being bailed out of jail by the MFF.
Vice president Kamala Harris has drawn continuing criticism for her support of the Minnesota Freedom Fund during the riots of 2020 after urging followers to donate to the campaign with a link to the group’s donation site on Act Blue.
Some media outlets have sought to defend Harris claiming that she never personally donated to the MFF.
Harris has not denied or distanced herself from her promotion of an organization whose efforts helped put violent criminals back on the street in Minnesota.
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