Report: Peggy Flanagan Grandfather Suspected in 4 Killings

It's a long-accepted axiom in Western civilization that we aren't held accountable for the crimes of our ancestors.

OK, when you're done comparing that to the bleating of the "reparations" crowd and chortling, let me expand on that: We aren't responsible for the crimes or misdeeds of our ancestors; nobody is, no matter who they are, no matter how annoying and otherwise odious that person may be. This is a matter of principle.

Which brings me to a candidate for the United States Senate from Minnesota, Peggy Flanagan. Flanagan's grandfather, according to one report, was a nutcase who not only spent years in psychiatric custody (back in the day, we would have called it the nuthouse) but who also escaped twice — and was suspected, although apparently not convicted, of several murders.

Now that right there is an interesting tidbit.

A dark chapter in the family history of Minnesota Democratic Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan has made its way into the race, but it is unclear whether voters will hold the alleged sins of her long-dead grandfather against her. 

Earlier this week, Alpha News revealed the troubled mental health history of Flanagan's grandfather, John Jacob Hartmann, supported by old newspaper accounts and court records. He spent decades in psychiatric custody, escaped twice and was suspected in multiple killings, though never charged.

The reporting comes just weeks before the midterm elections, in which Flanagan, the state's lieutenant governor, faces former television sports reporter Michelle Tafoya in a race to fill the seat of Democrat Tina Smith, who is retiring.

We might note that Peggy Flanagan was only three years old when her grandfather died. While this is amusing, it's not really germane to the election. Besides, Flanagan's background and stances on policy are already enough reason to vote for her opponent. 

Still, though; her grandfather appears to have been a real piece of work.

Flanagan has frequently spoken about her upbringing, including being raised by a single mother who relied on SNAP benefits and housing assistance, and the influence of her indigenous father, a tribal land rights activist who helped inspire her own advocacy for Native American communities.

But a lesser-known part of her family history involves Hartmann, who made headlines in Minneapolis newspapers throughout the 1970s and early 1980s for his time in psychiatric hospitals, his escapes and allegations linking him to at least four killings, which was dredged up by Minnesota-based outlet Alpha News.

Flanagan's opponent, Michelle Tafoya, has not made any comment about this as of this writing, and if she's smart, she won't. Because as noted above, Peggy Flanagan isn't responsible in any way for the misdeeds of her grandfather. She was a child when he died; it's not even remotely possible for her to have aided in any way in John Jacob Hartmann's misdeeds. And that's why this shouldn't be used in the campaign. Leave it to Democrats to pull cheap tricks like the fruit of the poison tree argument that would be all that could come of this.

That's the difference between Left and Right. It would not have been surprising, if Michelle Tafoya were the one with the unsavory family member, to see Democrats using it as a talking point, at least to belittle their Republican opponents. But we should be driven, not by politics, but by principle, in this matter. And the principle is this: We are not accountable for the misdeeds of our ancestors. 

Amusing as this story may be, that's where it should end. Michelle Tafoya's campaign is dead right to ignore these allegations.

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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