Grand Rapids, Minnesota (trfnews.i234.me) – Republican State Senator Justin Eichorn of Grand Rapids has resigned from the Minnesota Senate after being arrested earlier this week in a child sex sting operation conducted by Bloomington Police.
Eichorn was charged Wednesday in U.S. District Court with a felony count of soliciting a minor, following his arrest on Monday. According to a press release from Minnesota Senate Republicans, Eichorn signed a resignation letter Thursday morning, effective immediately.
Republican Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, confirmed the resignation and stated, “This is the right thing to do for his family and the Senate. We are ready to move on and do the important work that needs to be done at the Capitol.”
Eichorn had been scheduled to face an expulsion vote during Thursday’s Senate floor session, but the resignation rendered that motion unnecessary.
The charges stem from Eichorn’s alleged attempt to meet a minor for paid sex, part of a sting operation organized by local authorities. He now faces up to 15 years in prison on the federal charge, according to the Department of Justice.
Additionally, Hennepin County filed a state charge punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine but dropped it in light of the federal prosecution. The county noted it is standard procedure to defer to federal charges in such cases.
Minnesota lawmakers from both the GOP and DFL parties, along with Governor Tim Walz, had called for Eichorn’s resignation earlier this week. Speaking outside a Wednesday press conference, Walz remarked, “You cannot prey on our children and expect to get away with it.”
Eichorn was serving his third term in the Senate, representing District 6 since 2016. He resides in Grand Rapids with his wife and four children, according to his official profile.
Eichorn is scheduled to make his initial court appearance at the U.S. Courthouse in downtown Minneapolis, located just 10 miles west of the Minnesota Capitol.
I’m Chris Harper, and I’m reporting for TRF News.
Did you know?
- Federal solicitation of a minor charges can carry penalties of up to 15 years in prison under U.S. law.
- Grand Rapids, Minnesota, is located in Itasca County and has a population of roughly 11,000 residents.
- Political resignations following criminal charges are rare but not unprecedented in Minnesota state history.