Vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz waited to call on the embattled Democratic state lawmaker indicted on theft charges to resign until the Minnesota legislative session ended in May and her key votes were no longer needed.
State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, of Woodbury, was arrested at her mother-in-law’s home on April 22 and charged with first-degree burglary after she allegedly broke into the home to steal her late father’s ashes and some of her personal belongings. Mitchell denies the charges and is seeking to have the charges dropped.
Following the arrest, the Minnesota Senate removed Mitchell from his committees and caucuses, and Republicans quickly called for his immediate resignation, but Democratic leaders, including Walz, did not comply until the legislative session ended nearly a month later, on May 19.
Republican leaders say the incident shows Walz has chosen to do what is politically expedient rather than what is right for him as governor.
Minnesota Democratic Senator’s party calls for him to resign over theft allegations
Democratic state Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 47, was booked into the Becker County Jail on suspicion of first-degree theft. (Becker County Jail)
“Minnesota Democrats turned a blind eye to their colleagues’ criminal conduct for one simple reason: to maintain power,” Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“Just as Tim Walz shifted the blame for nearly $1 billion in taxpayer dollars lost to fraud, he will also shift the blame for doing the right thing unless it benefits him and his far-left agenda. He is unfit to be vice president and once in Washington, he will put his own agenda and reckless pursuit of power above the needs of the American people.”
At the time, Democrats held a 34-33 majority, and Mitchell’s vote was crucial to passing key legislation. The chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party acknowledged that in a statement calling for Mitchell’s resignation, noting that her constituents “were fully represented through the end of the legislative session.”
“The Minnesota Democratic Federation believes that all elected officials, including our own members, should be held accountable. Senator Mitchell deserves to be tried in a court of law, but her continued refusal to take responsibility for her actions shows she is unbecoming of her office and is a drag on her district and the Legislature,” Martin said in a statement on May 30, 10 days after the end of the session.
“Her constituents have been adequately represented through the end of the legislative session, and it is now time for her to step down to focus on the personal and legal challenges facing her.”
911 call recording details Minnesota Democratic senator’s alleged burglary at stepmother’s home
Mitchell was elected to represent Minnesota’s 47th Senate District in 2022. (Minnesota Senate)
Waltz He told FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul He agreed with Martin and said Mitchell should resign.
In the comments MPR NewsThe governor called the allegations facing Mitchell “alarming” and said “public servants must be held to a higher standard.”
Republicans at the time slammed Democratic leaders for their slow response.
“Despite the lack of new evidence or information in the allegations against Senator Mitchell, DNC Chairman Ken Martin’s comments are a clear admission that Democrats are desperate to pass a partisan agenda and would use the votes of an alleged thief to do so,” Johnson said in response to Martin’s comments.
Minnesota Democratic senator claims he was checking in on sick loved one during robbery
Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, appeared on stage together at a campaign event at Girard College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 6, 2024. Harris’ choice of the 60-year-old Midwestern governor over other candidates ended weeks of speculation about who her running mate would be. (Andrew Harnick/Getty Images)
“Instead of working in a bipartisan manner for the people of Minnesota, Democrats abused their political majority and supported Senator Mitchell because it served their own political purposes. Anyone paying attention should have seen this coming. Now that they no longer need her vote, they are ready to abandon her.”
“This shameless pursuit of political power is not what Minnesotans expect from their elected leaders.”
The Harris-Walz campaign and Governor Walz’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
According to the criminal complaint, Mitchell admitted to breaking in through a window and told investigators he was trying to take his late father’s ashes, photographs, a flannel shirt and other mementos, claiming that his stepmother had stopped speaking to him after his father’s death and had refused to hand over the items.
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Mitchell appeared before the Ethics Committee on May 7. She exercised her Fifth Amendment rights. And refused to talk.
Mitchell, a native of Woodbury, Minnesota, has represented the 47th District since being elected to the state Senate in 2022. He was previously a meteorologist for KSTP-TV and Minnesota Public Radio. Air National Guard.
Mitchell’s case has been postponed until Aug. 30 in Becker County District Court. The Detroit Lakes Tribune reported..
Fox News Digital’s Steven Sorellese contributed to this report.
