MN Sen. Nicole Mitchell Should Resign, DFL Chairman Says

ST. PAUL, MN — The head of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party on Thursday called for the resignation of state Sen. Nicole Mitchell.

The Minnesota state senator from Woodbury was charged last month with first-degree burglary in Detroit Lakes.

The call for Mitchell to resign came after she cast crucial votes in the state Senate, where Democrats had a narrow 34-33 edge over Republicans.

"The Minnesota DFL believes that all elected officials should be held accountable, including members of our own party," Chairman Ken Martin said Thursday morning.

"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. 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."

Mitchell was arrested early April 22 after she broke into her stepmother's house, according to police. She said she was taking back things from her stepmother, including her late father's ashes, according to the criminal complaint.

Around 4:45 a.m. Monday, Detroit Lakes police officers responded to a report of a home burglary.
Police searched the basement and quickly found a woman dressed in all-black clothing and a black hat.

Authorities identified the woman as Mitchell. She was ordered to the ground and placed under arrest.

While being detained, Mitchell told the homeowner: "I was just trying to get a couple of my dad's things because you wouldn't talk to me anymore," according to the criminal complaint.

Police found a flashlight near Mitchell with a black sock covering it to control the amount of light emitting from the flashlight, authorities said.

Officers also searched a backpack and discovered two laptops, a cell phone, Mitchell's Minnesota driver's license, a Senate identification card, "and miscellaneous Tupperware," according to the criminal complaint.

Mitchell said she had "just gotten into the house" and commented, "Clearly I'm not good at this," according to police.

"I know I did something bad," she later added, the criminal complaint states.

Mitchell said her father recently died and her stepmother ceased all contact with her and other family members, according to authorities.

Mitchell also said she wanted various items of her late father's and that the stepmother refused to give them to her, the criminal complaint states.

The items Mitchell wanted included pictures, a flannel shirt, and the ashes, according to police.

Mitchell admitted to driving her vehicle up from the Twin Cities and noted that she left Woodbury around 1 a.m., according to the criminal complaint. She admitted she got into the house through a window, authorities said.

At the jail, police asked what got Mitchell "to this stage" and she said it was her father's ashes, according to the criminal complaint.

Mitchell stated that she previously got into an argument with her stepmother and they stopped speaking, police said.