Former Democratic vice presidential candidate US Sen. Tim Kaine's son is facing charges for his alleged role in a riot that broke out at a pro Trump rally in Minnesota earlier this year.
Linwood Michael Kaine, 24, whose father, Sen. Tim Kaine, (D-VA), was Hillary Clinton's running mate in the 2016 presidential election, was charged on Friday with three misdemeanor counts, including fleeing police on foot, concealing his identity and obstructing the legal process with force. He was initially facing second-degree riot charges.
The "announcement of misdemeanor charges against Sen. Kaine's son contains no suggestion that he engaged in disruptive behavior while at the rally, but are instead focused on his actions as he was arrested after he left," Kaine's spokeswoman, Miryam Lipper, said in a statement.
“Tim and Anne support their son and hope the matter is resolved soon,” Lipper said.
The charges stem from an incident on March 4 at the state Capitol in St. Paul when a group of 125 protesters wearing all black — with some covering their faces — stormed a Trump rally. Demonstrators tossed a smoke bomb into the crowd of about 400, sprayed pepper spray and blew whistles and air-horns, inciting a riot. They scattered as police arrived, but Kaine was caught. Seven others were also charged for their participation in the chaos.
“When people seek to prevent others who are peacefully assembled from making their voices heard, it threatens the very foundation of our democracy,” Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said.
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