Republicans then lodged an ethics complaint because Mitchell cast a tie-breaking vote in her own favor on the issue, which they argued was a conflict of interest. The complaint also took aim at the underlying criminal charges.
But the Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct deadlocked on the issue along partisan lines and punted until Mitchell’s trial.
Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said in a statement Friday that the verdict “only confirms the fact that Sen. Mitchell’s actions failed to meet the level of ethical behavior we expect from elected officials.”
“Her continued participation in the Minnesota Senate leaves the body with a stain on its record for every time her vote was the deciding vote in passing legislation,” Johnson said. “Senate Republicans have been clear since day one that this conduct is unbecoming of a Senator and we expect her immediate resignation from the Senate. If she is unwilling to resign, she must be expelled as soon as possible to protect the integrity of the Senate.”
Mitchell won her seat representing a southwest metro district in 2022 with almost 59% of the vote.
If Mitchell vacates her seat, the Minnesota Senate will be deadlocked 33-33 pending a special election in Woodbury.
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