Democratic Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell will be removed from committee assignments and caucus meetings after she was arrested last week for a suspected burglary at her stepmother’s home.
Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, a Democrat, released a statement Sunday obtained by FOX9 Minneapolis, saying that while the situation is tragic, “there are still questions that need to be answered.”
“While the case is under review both in the Senate and in the courts, Senator Mitchell will be relieved of her committee assignments and removed from caucus meetings,” Murphy said.
Mitchell was charged with first-degree burglary on Tuesday after police arrested her the night before at her stepmother’s home.
She acknowledged entering 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, according to a criminal complaint. Mitchell claimed her stepmother had stopped speaking to her after her father’s death and refused to give her the items.
The Minnesota DFL only holds a one-vote majority in the Senate, making Mitchell’s vote critical in any party-line issues.
