ST. PAUL, Minn. — A Minnesota Senate ethics panel on Tuesday is expected to begin considering what to do with a lawmaker charged with burglary for allegedly breaking into her estranged stepmother’s home.
Democratic Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury told police last month that she broke in because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value belonging to her late father, including his ashes, according to the crime complaint. Her lawyer has said she deserves a fair trial and will not resign.
Mitchell’s status has posed a dilemma for her fellow Democrats because they have a one-seat majority in the Senate, so they need her vote to approve anything that doesn’t have bipartisan support. They have excluded her from caucus meetings and removed her from her committees, but have not publicly asked her to quit.
Mitchell resumed voting in the Senate last week, even on votes that would affect her fate. Senate Republicans forced hours of debate over the failed efforts to impeach her, slowing the pace of legislation as the May 20 reprieve deadline approached.
The Senate Republican complaint alleges her actions “violate the public trust and bring dishonor and discredit to the Senate.”
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks, who has called on Mitchell to resign, told reporters last week that she deserves a fair trial in court. But, he said, the Senate should hold lawmakers to a higher standard, even if it is politically difficult. He said it’s not right for Democrats to protect her because they need her vote.
“This is a serious allegation and I hope the ethics committee takes it very seriously,” Johnson said.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy of St. Paul told reporters last week that their caucus has not asked Mitchell to resign.
“We don’t know all the facts in this case. It is both a serious matter and a heartbreaking matter for many of us,” Murphy told reporters. Mitchell is entitled to a fair hearing, both here in the ethics subcommittee and in court. And she is having the hard and serious conversations she needs to have with her family and her constituents.”
Johnson said he expects the panel will discuss whether there is probable cause to investigate further. He said he expects they will review police reports, her comments on social media and an interview the stepmother gave to KSTP-TV in which she said she is afraid of Mitchell and disputes the senator’s claim that she was there to to check her health. -being. But no decision on her fate will likely be made on Tuesday, Johnson said.
The ethics panel consists of two Democrats and two Republicans. If there is no tie, it could ultimately recommend anything from a reprimand to expulsion.
Normally there would be no seats in the Senate in November. But Minnesota Democratic Party state chairman Ken Martin recently said he would like Mitchell to resign by June 8 so her seat can be filled in a special election on Election Day. Mitchell represents a predominantly Democratic district in suburban St. Paul that would be easier for Democrats to hold if the vote takes place in November, when turnout should be high.
Mitchell’s next court date is set for June 10.
Before the ethics panel considers Mitchell’s case, it is expected to address a long-dormant complaint filed last year by Democrats against Republican Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen of Glencoe. He sent an email to colleagues during a debate on trans rights in the 2023 session, including a link to a medical school video showing gender transition surgery. It included a note saying it documented “mutilated transgender surgeries on minor children.” Extremely graphic and disturbing.”