GOP leaders call on Sen. Eichorn to resign after arrest for allegedly soliciting a minor
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Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn was arrested Monday in Bloomington for allegedly soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Bloomington police said Eichorn was arrested near the 8300 block of Normandale Boulevard at around 6 p.m. Eichorn, R-Grand Rapids, was first booked into the Bloomington city jail and then transferred to Hennepin County jail early Tuesday evening.
In a statement, the Bloomington Police Department said a detective had communicated with Eichorn “who thought he was talking to a 16-year-old female” and then arranged a meetup on Monday. He was arrested without incident outside of his vehicle by uniformed officers, Bloomington police said.
Hours after news of the arrest became public, Senate Republicans along with Republican Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth called for Eichorn to resign his seat.
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Eichorn, 40, is listed in his Senate biography as an entrepreneur who is married with four children. He was first elected to the Senate in 2016.
MPR News generally does not name suspects until they are charged with a crime. Editors chose to name Eichorn following his arrest given his prominence as an elected lawmaker. He has not been charged with a crime.
MPR News has sought comment from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and from a spokesperson for Eichorn. A call to a number associated with Eichorn went to voicemail.
Swift calls to step down from Republicans and DFLers
A range of political voices on Tuesday called for Eichorn’s resignation from the Senate given his arrest.
“The felony allegation against Senator Eichorn is deeply disturbing, and raises serious questions that will need to be answered by the court, as well as his caucus and constituents,” Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, said in a statement.
A Senate Republican Caucus statement said, “We are shocked by these reports and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation … Justin has a difficult road ahead and he needs to focus on his family.”
House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, in a joint statement with another House Republican leader, said Eichorn’s arrest involved serious allegations that warrant his resignation. “While he is entitled to due process, we must hold legislators to a higher standard,” Demuth’s statement said.
Besides representing his north-central Senate district, Eichorn also serves on the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Advisory Board.
Eichorn’s arrest on Monday came hours after he and four other Republican senators introduced legislation to designate “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a mental illness.
The Senate has been grappling with how to deal with members arrested for serious offense.
Last year, DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell was charged with burglary after being arrested in the basement of a relative’s home while carrying a flashlight and a crowbar. She has resisted calls from members of both parties to resign and an ethics proceeding against her is on hold until the criminal case is concluded.
Mitchell, of Woodbury, is due to stand trial after the legislative session after invoking a lawmaker privilege to postpone a trial that was supposed to begin in January. Efforts to expel her have stalled.
More reporting to come. Check back for details.