Senator Rich Draheim (R‑Madison Lake) released the following statement in response to the guilty verdict in the felony burglary trial of Sen. Nicole Mitchell (D‑Woodbury):

“I want to thank the jury and the prosecution for their work in delivering justice in this case. I’m thankful the jury didn’t take long to reach a decision. Just reading the 911 transcript, it was clear what happened. Dressed in all black, carrying a pry bar, parking a block away and sneaking in are not the actions of someone performing a welfare check or of someone living up to the standards we expect from any individual, let alone an elected official.

She should have resigned immediately. Instead, she has continued to cast votes in the Senate. Rather than stepping down or being expelled, she has served as the single vote keeping the Democrats in control of the entire Legislature. Without Nicole Mitchell, both the House and Senate would have been tied.

How did she represent her district and her constituents through all of this? Our number one job as Senators is to serve the people we represent. How could she have been doing that over the past year? It’s unfair to her district and to this entire state.

Senate Republicans have been clear from the beginning that this conduct is unbecoming of a Senator. We expect her immediate resignation. If she refuses, she must be expelled to protect the integrity of the Minnesota Senate."