Minnesota GOP state senator arrested in underage- prostitution sting
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Sen. Justin Eichorn was first elected in 2016. Photo: Courtesy of Minnesota Senate
Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) was arrested Monday in Bloomington after, police said, he attempted to solicit a minor for prostitution.
The latest: Top state Republicans called for his immediate resignation.
Details: Detectives arrested Eichorn after they communicated with a man who believed he was talking to a 16-year-old girl and arranged to meet her on Monday, according to the Bloomington Police Department.
- Bloomington police say Eichorn, 40, was arrested after arriving near the 8300 block of Normandale Avenue; he was then booked at the Bloomington Police Department jail.
- He was arrested on suspicion of soliciting a minor for sex, police say, but as of Tuesday afternoon had not yet been charged.
- A Hennepin County Attorney's Office spokesperson, Daniel Borgertpoepping, told Axios the case had not yet been submitted.
- Eichorn, who police said was being transferred to the Hennepin County jail Tuesday, has not responded to various attempts by Axios to obtain his comment.
What they're saying: "We are shocked by these reports and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation," the Senate Republican Caucus said in a joint statement Tuesday. "Justin has a difficult road ahead and he needs to focus on his family."
Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) called Eichorn's arrest "deeply disturbing" and said that it "raises serious questions that will need to be answered by the court, as well as his caucus and constituents."
The big picture: This is the second state senator arrested in as many years — last April, Sen. Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury) was charged with felony burglary after prosecutors said she broke into her stepmother's Detroit Lakes home to retrieve ashes and other items she said belonged to her late father.
- Mitchell pleaded not guilty and her trial is scheduled to begin this summer.
- Republicans have repeatedly called on Mitchell to resign or be expelled over the charges.
- Democrats resisted those efforts, saying she is entitled to due process.