Feds deny Gov. Walz's request for aid to rebuild after Minnesota faces $500 million in riot damages

The federal government has denied a request from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) for funds to rebuild North Star State following the George Floyd riots that inflicted wide-scale destruction in the Twin Cities.

Walz's spokesman Teddy Tschann confirmed that the request for federal aid was denied, as reported in The Minneapolis Star Tribune.

"As we navigate one of the most difficult periods in our state's history, we look for support from our federal government to help us through," Tschann said in a statement.

"The Governor is disappointed that the federal government declined his request for financial support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help Minnesota rebuild after civil unrest damaged public infrastructure and caused extensive fire damage in the wake of George Floyd's death," Tschann said.

Walz had petitioned President Donald Trump on July 2 to declare parts of Minnesota as a "major disaster" due to the extensive damage to public infrastructure caused by rioting.

Walz's office claims that nearly 1,500 businesses in the Twin Cities were damaged from looting, fires, and vandalism. Walz's administration estimates that there was $15 million in damages from fires, and the total damage losses exceed $500 million. The destruction arrived in the weeks of riots in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, who died while in the custody of Minneapolis police.

During the George Floyd riots in late May, vandals torched blocks of retail locations in Minneapolis. Rioters were able to take over the third precinct police station after Minneapolis police fled the scene. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) openly admitted that city leaders allowed rioters to capture the Minneapolis Police Department's third precinct building and instructed the police force to retreat.

In June, the Minneapolis City Council voted to disband its police department and replace it with a "community safety" model.