Democratic Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell’s own party is calling for her resignation over a month after she was charged with burglary for allegedly breaking into her stepmother's home to get her late father’s ashes and some of his personal belongings.
Ken Martin, chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, said in a statement released on Thursday that "elected officials should be held accountable, including members of our own party."
"While Sen. Mitchell is entitled to her day in court, her continued refusal to take responsibility for her actions is beneath her office and has become a distraction for her district and the Legislature," Martin said. "Now that her constituents have had full representation through the end of the legislative session, it is time for her to resign to focus on the personal and legal challenges she faces."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, also said last week that Mitchell should resign, FOX9 Minneapolis reported.
Mitchell was removed from committee assignments and caucus meetings after she was arrested at her stepmother’s home on April 22. The state senator was later charged with first-degree burglary.
Mitchell has denied the allegations and claimed that she was merely checking on an ill loved one.
According to a criminal complaint, Mitchell acknowledged that she entered through a window and told investigators she was trying to get her late father's ashes, photos, a flannel shirt and other items of sentimental value, claiming her stepmother had stopped speaking to her after her father’s death and refused to give her the items.
Mitchell appeared in front of an ethics panel on May 7, but invoked her Fifth Amendment rights and refused to speak.
Republican lawmakers in Minnesota had called for Mitchell’s resignation shortly after her arrest.
Mitchell’s next court hearing is set for June 10.
Mitchell, of Woodbury, Minnesota, has represented District 47 since she was elected to the state Senate in 2022. She was previously a meteorologist for KSTP-TV and Minnesota Public Radio and serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard.
