W. Anders Folk is an American attorney who served as Acting United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota in 2021. A native of Minnesota, he has held senior roles at the United States Department of Justice in both Minnesota and Washington D.C. In 2025, he announced his candidacy for Hennepin County Attorney.
Folk graduated from Hopkins High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota, where he was a Phi Beta Kappa member. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School. He served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps as a judge advocate from 2001 to 2005, prosecuting and defending service members in courts-martial, including murder and war crimes cases.
Folk first joined the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota as an Assistant United States Attorney in 2005, where he prosecuted federal crimes including terrorism, narcotics, and financial fraud. He worked on cases involving the al-Shabaab terrorist organization's recruitment of Minnesotans to fight in Somalia. He left in 2011 to practice at Stinson LLP in Minneapolis, before returning to the U.S. Attorney's Office in 2018 as First Assistant United States Attorney.
On March 1, 2021, Folk was designated Acting United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota following the resignation of U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald at the start of the Biden administration. In that role, he filed federal civil rights charges against Derek Chauvin in connection with the murder of George Floyd, leading to the federal conviction of Chauvin and his co-defendants. He also initiated a pattern and practice investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department for alleged civil rights violations. Folk stepped down as Acting United States Attorney in November 2021.
Following his tenure as Acting U.S. Attorney, Folk served as Senior Counsel to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in Washington, D.C., managing a portfolio covering crisis response and civil rights.
In October 2025, Folk announced his candidacy for Hennepin County Attorney after incumbent Mary Moriarty announced she would not seek re-election. His campaign has focused on public safety and restoring relationships with law enforcement. Following Operation Metro Surge, Folk emerged as a leading voice against ICE's immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis, calling them "brutal and wanton." In February 2026, Folk signed a letter along with seven other former U.S. Attorneys condemning the "ongoing damage" to the Department of Justice under the second Trump administration. He received endorsements from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and former U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.