Minnesota Sen. Justin Echon resigned from the state Senate Thursday. Federal criminal charges accusing him of soliciting a gender from someone he thought was 17 years oldbut it turns out to be a secret police officer.
The move comes after a Republican Caucus colleague said he would vote to expel him from the room if he did not resign. The Democrats were ready to join them to clear the two-thirds majority hurdles needed to exile.
Achon, a Republican from Grand Rapids, is being charged with attempts to force or seduce a minor. Prosecutors said they responded to online ads, part of an operation targeting sex trafficking by Bloomington Police and other law enforcement agencies.
Although Acorn has not issued an official statement since his arrest, he sent a brief letter he signed to Gov. Tim Waltz, and legislative leaders announced plans to leave his position. He first appeared in court on Thursday afternoon.
“I am resigning from my seat in the 6th district Senate of Minnesota Senate immediately,” he wrote. “At this point, we have to focus on personal issues. It was an honor to serve in the Minnesota Senate.”
The fallout at the Capitol was quick after his arrest. Senate Republicans have called on him to step down as other lawmakers have crossed the party lines in both rooms. The GOP Caucus repeated the call Wednesday afternoon.
Later that day, Johnson said he would move forward with the move to remove him on Thursday morning during the floor session. It’s now controversial since he filed his resignation letter.
“The charges he was charged with are very serious, and the transcript based on the report is very bad. So, despite it not being done, the expulsion had not been made on the floor before, but the charges felt that justified it,” Johnson told reporters Thursday.
The Senate DFL Caucus joined Republicans, urging him to step aside, calling details of the felony allegations “terrifying.” They would have voted to expel him too, they said. If so, it would have been a historic event in the Minnesota Legislature. According to Minnesota’s Legislative Reference Library, members have previously moved to expel members, but none of them have passed. However, researchers have never found evidence that it had happened before.
“The safety of the interns that come to work and learn here, the safety and security of the staff who put their days here, were in conflict with the predatory nature of Mr. Aichon’s actions reported in the criminal charges,” said Sen. Erin Murphy, DFL-Saint.
The Senate GOP previously attempted to expel Sen. Nicole Mitchell of DFL-Woodbury, who has been charged with felony robbery in state court. It is said that she broke into her stepmother’s house last April.. She pleaded not guilty and was brought to trial in June, resisting a call to step away from Republicans and her own party. Those efforts The final voting deadline was not advanced For a procedural retreat.
When asked by a reporter why Murphy wouldn’t push Mitchell to resign, Murphy replied, “The conflict with Senator Mitchell and this is the difference between day and day.”
According to court documents, Aichon texted the number posted to inquire about sexual activity and costs. A few days after the initial contact, police arrested him Monday in an arranged meeting with Aichon and the teenager, during which time officers found $130 in cash and a condom in his car.
The criminal charges stated that in one text exchange, Eichon was warned about the person’s age, replied, “It says (sic) the age of consent is 16.”
With Aichen’s resignation, the balance of power in the room remains unchanged. The Democrats still have a one-seater majority.
Waltz needs to call a special election to fill the vacant seats.
Eichon will appear in court 1
Acorn, 40, first appeared before a judge on Thursday afternoon.
The current National Senator didn’t speak much in his first public appearance, but he didn’t need to. The judge read his Miranda rights and then read to him a long list of terms of his release after the location in the middle house became available. He is monitored by GPS, is prohibited from contacting people under the age of 18, and is prohibited from accessing computers.
In addition to the well-known suspects, this is a unique case. This is a local investigation that initially resulted in state charges but was involved and took over by the federal government.
Legal analyst WCCO said it wasn’t just a symbolic choice. If convicted, Acorn could be sentenced to federal prison.
“There’s a big difference in penalties. In state courts, you rarely go to prison for child solicitation. That only happens if the person has a very bad criminal history,” said criminal defense attorney Joe Tambrino. “But while there is usually no prison sentence, federal courts have prison sentences under many circumstances, with a minimum of 10 years or more.”
The state has dropped the charges now that the Fed has taken over the lawsuit. Eichon will return to court next week for a preliminary hearing.
More about CBS News
Caroline Cummings
