DULUTH, Minn. — The man who embarrassed Minnesota Republicans by calling for a tribute to killer-cop Derek Chauvin at the GOP state convention has been identified by a news reporter for the Minnesota Reformer. He was Christopher Rocco, who said he preferred to be known merely as “Rocco” or “Mr. Rocco.” He did not identify from where in the state he had been elected as a delegate to the convention. He was among 2,300 delegates. In the hub-bub of the opening session Rocco grabbed a microphone and called for a moment of silence for Chauvin. And it was so ordered, unwittingly, by party leadership on the podium. Heads were bowed reflexively. For several days now the state GOP apparatchik has repeated disavowals of Rocco’s action as not representative of the party’s values.
Earlier: How Republicans came to their “Chauvin Moment”