JUST IN: Prominent Democrat Official Arrested For Burglary

A Minnesota Democratic lawmaker was arrested on Monday after allegedly traveling hundreds of miles to burglarize someone else’s home.

The New York Post reports that State Sen. Nicole Mitchell, 49, who represents Woodbury outside of the Twin Cities, was brought in by police on suspicion of first-degree burglary in Detroit Lakes — more than 220 miles from her district. The arrest came after a homeowner at the property reported an active break-in, according to local media.

Online records show that Mitchell, a former TV weather reporter and member of the Air National Guard, remained in custody at Becker County Jail as of Monday afternoon. Becker County Sheriff Todd Glander told the Post he expects charges to be filed Tuesday.

The AP obtained an obituary showing that Mitchell’s father, who died last month, and stepmother lived on the same block of the same road in Detroit Lakes as where the senator was arrested. A criminal complaint filed Tuesday indicates she broke into her late father’s home to “take several items belonging to her late father after her stepmom ceased contact with her and other family members,” according to the Minnesota Reformer.

A spokesperson for the state senate’s Democratic arm, which holds a single-vote majority in the chamber, said it is “aware of the situation and has no comment pending further information.”

Mark Johnson, the Senate’s Republican minority leader, condemned his colleague’s actions in a statement.

“The public expects Legislators to meet a high standard of conduct. As information comes out, we expect the consequences to meet the actions, both in the court of law, and in her role at the legislature,” he told the Post.

Mitchell was first elected in 2022 and is halfway through serving her four-year term. During her brief time in office, the Democrat has prioritized policies relating to veterans, child protection, and climate change.

Ironically, some of the legislation co-sponsored by Mitchell relates to increased penalties on criminals. In 2023 she introduced legislation intended to toughen penalties for gun owners who fail to safely store their firearms. On the opposite end of the spectrum, she co-sponsored legislation to shift prisoners out of the general population and house them at their last known address, the Post adds.

Minnesota has played host to some of the most ultra-liberal protests in recent years, including heavy rioting during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Squad Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who represents most of Minneapolis, has repeatedly refused to condemn anti-Israel behavior by her constituents and suffered attempts at congressional censure for making antisemitic statements of her own.

The state’s base of Democrats is also lukewarm to the prospect of a second four-year term by President Joe Biden. During the state’s Democratic primary election in March, nearly 19% of voters opted for “Uncommitted” instead of voting for the incumbent, who faces a nominal challenger in Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips (D-MN).