Vote for motion to expel Sen. Nicole Mitchell fails at Minnesota Senate
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A vote for a motion to expel embattled DFL Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell failed in the chamber on Monday.
State senators voted along party lines, with 33 DFL senators voting against the motion and 33 GOP senators voting in favor of it.
Republican Sen. Jordan Rasmusson of Fergus Falls introduced the motion to expel Mitchell, who last year was charged with burglary.
Rasmusson said, in addition to the burglary charges, 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."
Earlier this month, a judge granted Mitchell's motion to delay her trial until after the legislative session. The trial was set to begin on Monday, but it will now start within 60 days of May 19, court records state.
Mitchell pleaded not guilty to first-degree burglary in August and has denied wrongdoing. According to the criminal complaint, Mitchell admitted to police she broke into her stepmother's home in Detroit Lakes last April to retrieve some of her late father's personal items, including his ashes.
A similar expulsion vote against Mitchell failed last year, though the DFL did remove her from her committees and caucus meetings. Rasmusson said that action means Mitchell has "forfeited her ability to effectively represent her constituents."
Before the vote, DFL Sen. Nick Frentz spoke in support of Mitchell and asked Senate President Bobby Joe Champion to find Rasmusson's motion out of order.
"This member of the Senate has not had her day in court," Frentz said.
Because of a vacancy caused by DFL Sen. Kari Dziedzic's death, the balance of power in the Senate currently stands at a 33-33 tie. Dziedzic's seat will be filled in a special election on Tuesday. The district — 60, in northeast Minneapolis — favors Democrats.
Note: The video above originally aired Jan. 17, 2025.
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