State Sen. Nicole Mitchell (D-MN) was recently charged with burglary after she allegedly broke into her stepmother’s home in April. Mitchell appeared in court in Detroit Lakes earlier this week for a settlement conference. She was spotted on Tuesday entering the Becker County District Court wearing a pink parka covering her head and refusing to answer questions.
The state senator has been charged with one count of first-degree burglary in connection to her arrest on April 22 last year in Detroit Lakes. The criminal complaint against Mitchell claims her stepmother had reported an intruder in her basement in the early hours of the morning. Officers located Mitchell on the property dressed in all black.
Upon being arrested, Mitchell reportedly told authorities, “Clearly I’m not good at this.” She explained that she had entered to house to retrieve belongings of her late father including his ashes. Mitchell’s stepmother, Carol Mitchell, 74, previously recounted the incident claiming she found the Minnesota Democrat “dressed like a burglar at the foot of my bead.”
Mitchell’s legal woes have led to backlash in Minnesota politics. Former running mate of Vice President Kamala Harris’ and Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz, urged Mitchell to resign after the controversy. Furthermore, Republican state senators launched an ethics investigation into Mitchell that is on hold until her case plays out.
Other reports indicate that a GOP-led effort to expel Mitchell from the Minnesota Senate had failed. The motion was introduced by Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, but failed due to a procedural technicality that blocked the vote along partisan lines 33 to 33. Rasmusson claimed that Mitchell has “abused her position in the Senate to force a delay in a trial that would provide closure and justice for a real victim.”
Furthermore, GOP Sen. Mark Johnson claimed that Mitchell was also abusing her position in Minnesota politics. “Last year we heard time and time again how she deserves her day in court before we can decide on her status, and she has played both the judicial system and the Senate Rules to her own — and only her own — advantage,” he said.
Republican Sen. Rich Draheim said, “The Senate’s integrity was on the line today, and Democrats failed the test. Sen. Mitchell admitted she ‘did something wrong’ and is facing a felony burglary charge, yet Democrats voted to protect her instead of the institution. Minnesotans deserve better. Senators must be held to the highest possible ethical standards.”
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Watch Sen. Nicole Mitchell appear in court below:
He added, “Last year, Senator Mitchell and her Democrat colleagues used her upcoming trial as an excuse to delay action, including on an ethics violation. Now she is using the legislative session as an excuse to delay her trial. She continues to hide from justice. It is a complete double standard – no other regular citizen would be afforded the privilege that she is hiding behind. Today we had an opportunity to restore trust in the Senate, but Democrats chose partisan loyalty over accountability.”
Note: The featured image is a screen shot from the embedded video.