Firebombed think tank offers $15,000 cash award

The Minnesota conservative think tank that was firebombed last week is offering a $15,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who committed the suspected arson attack.

Located just outside Minneapolis, the Center for the American Experiment announced the significant cash award during a press conference on Thursday. 

“I believe that the criminals are going to be caught. But we want to do everything we can to help,” said American Experiment President Hinderaker during the press conference. “We are offering a $15,000 award in hopes of catching the people who committed the crime.”

Offices on the first of third floors belonging to three politically conservative organizations were destroyed in a suspected arson attack last Sunday. The three organizations targeted – the Center of the American Experiment, the Upper Midwest Law Center, and TakeCharge – are all politically conservative groups. Many other companies, such as psychologists, chiropractors, and financial advisors, work in the same office building, but those spaces were not targeted.  

Images of the aftermath show charred hallways from floor to ceiling while other offices in the same building remained untouched. Still, the entire office building has shut down due to the damage from fire, water, and smoke. Although the fire department responded rapidly, the damage was catastrophic, Hinderaker told the Carolina Journal. It could take a year or more for the building to be restored, and will cost millions of dollars. 

The organizations are working with law enforcement as the investigation continues, and they are hopeful that the criminals will be caught.

“The message today is that we are determined to catch the people who committed this terrible, terrible crime. They targeted the three conservative organizations that were located in this building,” Hinderaker said, noting the dozens of other small businesses that have been deprived of a place to work.

Upper Midwest Law Center and the Center of the American Experiment are part of the nationwide State Policy Network (SPN). SPN is a 50-state network of state-level think tanks and nonprofits that promote freedom, individual rights and local governance. The John Locke Foundation (JLF) in North Carolina is also part of SPN. As affiliates, JLF and American Experiment have worked together closely on special projects in the past.