Tennessee company cancels plan to recruit armed guards for Minnesota polls

Attorney General Keith Ellison opened an investigation on Tuesday in response to job listings for ex-special forces members. 

The Tennessee-based company that advertised for ex-Special Forces members to serve as armed guards at Minnesota polling places on Nov. 3 has told the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office that it is rescinding its recruitment for the positions.

Attorney General Keith Ellison launched a probe into Atlas Aegis on Tuesday, the same day that a pair of local advocacy groups filed federal lawsuits in response to ads placed by the company seeking to hire armed guards for the “protection of election polls” in Minnesota.

In a settlement reached Friday, Atlas Aegis agreed that it will not provide security services in Minnesota around the time of the election — effectively through Jan. 1. The company also agreed to provide public notification that it was wrong to suggest that it was recruiting armed guards at Minnesota polling places, which would have violated the state’s election laws. Continue reading.