Minnesota GOP leaders demand details on cyberattack from St. Paul mayor originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
Republican state lawmakers are requesting information from St. Paul's mayor after the city's information systems were hit by a cyberattack two weeks ago.
House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) and three of her colleagues sent a letter to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter on Thursday "requesting immediate answers" to several questions related to the scope of the breach and the status of an ongoing investigation. House Majority Whip Jim Nash (R-Waconia), Rep. Harry Niska (R-Ramsey) and Rep. Paul Novotny (R-Elk River) also signed the letter.
Suspicious activity was detected on St. Paul's network on July 25 and determined to be a "deliberate, coordinated digital attack," according to Carter. He declared a local State of Emergency on July 28 and announced a "full shutdown" of the city's information systems as a "defensive measure."
Since the initial announcement, the city has shared few details on the cyberattack, citing an ongoing investigation involving multiple agencies, including the Minnesota National Guard, and two national firms.
"It has been nearly two weeks since the cybersecurity breach affecting the City of Saint Paul became public, and we are still without clear information on the overall scope, severity, or recovery timeline," the state lawmakers wrote in their letter to Carter. "Given that Saint Paul is not only Minnesota’s capital city, but also the administrative hub for state government, this ongoing disruption has significant implications for state government and security of the State Capitol Complex that requires transparency and urgency."
During a July 31 press conference on the breach, Carter said the cybersecurity risk is "very low" for the general public and the city is prioritizing regular payments to staff.
These are the questions posed in the letter:
What is the current estimated timeline for fully restoring access to city systems?
Which systems have been compromised or remain unavailable as a result of the cybersecurity breach?
Are any departments currently relying on external networks, borrowed infrastructure, or temporary workarounds to maintain operations? If so, which departments are impacted and how have these arrangements affected operations?
Has this incident impacted any state, county, or federal systems or networks?
Has the city identified whether any employee, resident, or operational data was accessed or compromised as part of the breach? What steps have been taken to assess the extent of any data exposure and to notify or protect affected individuals or departments?
Have there been any changes to payroll operations during this period, including how compensation is processed? If so, please clarify whether employees are receiving full pay, including overtime, and if any temporary limitations have been put in place while systems are offline?
The legislators requested "a written update or offer of briefing" by next Tuesday.
"Saint Paul is currently in a state of limited digital functionality," Demuth and the others wrote. "That reality requires transparency not only to protect public trust but to ensure appropriate support from state and federal partners."
Carter did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday from Bring Me The News.
Related: St. Paul postpones Mayor Melvin Carter's budget address amid cyberattack
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Comments