Assistant Washington County Attorney Kevin Magnuson said Wednesday that he will run for Washington County Attorney this fall with the blessing of his boss, Pete Orput, who announced last week that he would not run for re-election.
Magnuson, of Lake Elmo, was hired as a prosecutor in the Washington County Attorney’s office in September 2019. He previously worked as an attorney at Briggs and Morgan; Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi, and Kelley, Wolter & Scott.
Magnuson said he’s handled a wide range of cases in his 22 years as a lawyer, including large class-action lawsuits, criminal prosecutions and “protecting vulnerable adults from exploitation and neglect.” At Kelley, Wolter & Scott, he worked with Doug Kelley, the court-appointed receiver and bankruptcy trustee, to search for and liquidate assets for the victims and creditors of Tom Petters’ $3.65 billion Ponzi scheme.
“Nothing is more important than giving voice to the victims of crime and mistreatment,” Magnuson said. “Violent criminals, sexual predators, commercial drug dealers and other criminals must be held to account and the law enforced.”
Orput, county attorney since 2011, endorsed Magnuson for the job, saying that “Kevin is a brilliant lawyer, terrific leader and committed public servant” and that he has the “temperament and judgment to vigorously prosecute violations of the law while also wisely exercising…
