Democratic Senator Nicole Mitchell, Arrested for Theft in Minnesota, Pressured to Resign
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Democratic State Senator from a Twin Cities suburb faces resignation calls after prosecutors accused her of breaking into her stepmother’s home to retrieve ashes and other items she said belonged to her late father. In a swift turn of events, Senator Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury) was arrested on Monday following an early morning call to the police reporting a break-in at a home in Detroit Lakes.
On Tuesday, the Becker County Attorney’s Office charged her with first-degree burglary, a charge Mitchell denies. The crime carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The criminal complaint stated that the senator told the officers her actions were linked to a dispute over her father’s assets.
What They’re Saying: In a Tuesday afternoon post on her Facebook page, Mitchell denied the theft, stating that she was attempting to check on a family member who was experiencing “a decline due to Alzheimer’s and associated paranoia.” Her lawyer, Bruce Ringstrom, Sr., told Axios via email that the first-term senator “has no interest in resigning.” Overview: Mitchell’s arrest could create political and logistical problems for Minnesota Democrats, given the narrow 34-33 Senate majority. Any absences could prevent most Democrats from passing legislation without Republican Party votes before the May 20 adjournment deadline.
Latest Update: Mitchell, who was booked at the Becker County jail on Monday, did not contest during her initial court appearance on Tuesday. The judge said she could be released on conditions that include having no contact with the victim. Context: Mitchell, a former meteorologist and Air Force Reserve lieutenant colonel, was elected in 2022. An obituary shows that her father died in 2023. What We’re Hearing: Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) called for Mitchell’s immediate resignation on Tuesday. “I understand the difficult situation her family is facing, however, the actions taken by Senator Mitchell are disturbing,” he said in a statement, calling the behavior described in the complaint “unbecoming” of a legislator.
The state Republican Party and the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus issued similar statements. Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) described the alleged actions as “very much out of character from [Mitchell] both as she has established in the Senate and in her distinguished military career.” She said in a statement that while Mitchell “is entitled to a full defense of her case in court,” she will also “need to have serious, difficult conversations with her colleagues, constituents, and family” in the coming weeks. Details: Officers responding to the scene just before 5 a.m. on Monday found Mitchell in the basement “dressed in black clothing and a black hat” with a flashlight that had a “black sock covering” nearby, the complaint states. Mitchell’s statement said she visited the home after learning of “medical information that caused me great concern” about her relative. She said she had been in this house “countless times over the last 20 years… Unfortunately, I frightened this close relative, exacerbating the paranoia.”
According to the complaint:
Mitchell, who admitted to making the three-and-a-half-hour car trip from the Twin Cities in the middle of the night and entering through the basement window, told officers she had “just broken into the house” and said, “I’m clearly not good at this.” As she was being detained, Mitchell reportedly said to her stepmother something like, “I was just trying to get some things of my dad’s because you wouldn’t talk to me anymore.” She told the police that her stepmother had cut off contact after an argument and that she wanted possession of sentimental items, such as his ashes, a flannel shirt, and photos.
Expanding: A backpack at the scene contained Mitchell’s IDs, a cell phone, Tupperware, and two laptops, per the complaint. Mitchell told the police that both computers were hers. But one of them displayed the stepmother’s name when turned on. Mitchell allegedly claimed it was given to her by the victim, but her stepmother contested that claim. What Comes Next: her next court hearing is scheduled for June 10.
