A Minnesota bureaucrat who admitted to vandalizing six Teslas because he hates Elon Musk has not only kept his government job but has been rewarded with a promotion and a raise funded by taxpayers.
According to the Gateway Pundit, the case of Dylan Bryan Adams, a fiscal policy analyst with the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) under Democrat Governor Tim Walz, has become a stark example of how left-leaning authorities appear more interested in protecting their ideological allies than in defending property rights and equal justice. In a state that routinely lectures the rest of the country on equity and accountability, Adams treatment sends a very different message to law-abiding citizens and to supporters of President Donald Trump and other high-profile conservatives.
Adams was caught on camera in early 2025 keying Teslas across the Twin Cities, a targeted spree that police quickly linked to at least six victims. The damage totaled upwards of $21,000, and Adams admitted to investigators that his crimes were driven by his animus toward Musk, telling them he acted because he hates Elon Musk.
Despite the multiple victims and the substantial financial loss, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty refused to bring criminal charges, opting instead to place Adams in a diversion program typically reserved for certain first-time offenders. That leniency drew rare public criticism from Minneapolis Police Chief Brian OHara, who made clear that his department had done its job and that the failure to prosecute rested squarely with Moriartys office.
The Minneapolis Police Department did its job. It identified and investigated a crime trend, identified, and arrested a suspect, and presented a case file to the Hennepin County Attorney Office for consideration of charges. This case impacted at least six different victims and totaled over $20,000 in damages. Any frustration related to the charging decision of the Hennepin County Attorney should be directed solely at her office. Our investigators are always frustrated when the cases they poured their hearts into are declined. In my experience, the victims in these cases often feel the same. The Gateway Pundit noted that Moriarty was already under fire for apparent double standards after her office charged a 19-year-old woman with a felony for allegedly keying a single vehicle, even as Adams escaped prosecution altogether.
Newly released state employment records now show that Adams workplace punishment amounted to a token one-day suspension without pay. Even more telling, he has since been elevated within DHS and granted a higher salary, underscoring how little real consequence he faced for politically motivated property destruction.
The Daily Mail reported that a DHS spokesperson acknowledged Adamss conduct seriously undermined public trust and violated our code of ethics. Yet the same spokesperson admitted he was merely suspended for one day without pay, a slap on the wrist that would be unthinkable for many private-sector employees caught on video committing serial vandalism.
Now, Adams has not only kept his job but received a promotion last month, working in a temporary assignment as the supervisor of the Disability Services Divisions Fiscal Policy Team, a DHS spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Mail. The spokesperson further confirmed that the new role did include a change in compensation, with public records showing Adams earned about $93,000 in fiscal year 2025.
According to the Daily Mail, DHS said Adams was making $48.60 per hour in his prior position and is now paid $52.18 per hour in his supervisory role. The agency declined to specify how long he will hold the temporary assignment, leaving taxpayers to wonder how many more such temporary rewards await government employees whose politics align with the progressive establishment while they target the property and rights of those they despise.
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