Senator resigns from jail after child solicitation arrest
Inset: Sen. Justin Eichorn (Bloomington Police Department). Background: Sen. Justin Eichorn speaking on March 11, 2025 (WCCO/YouTube).
A state senator from Minnesota whose colleagues demanded he “resign in disgrace” after being arrested for allegedly trying to meet up with an underage sex worker this week did just that on Thursday.
“I must focus on personal matters at this time,” read Sen. Justin Eichorn’s resignation message, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune. “It has been an honor to serve in the Minnesota Senate,” Eichorn said, sending out the statement just before 11 a.m. from the Hennepin County Jail, where he’s being held on a charge of Soliciting Under 18 Year Old to Practice Prostitution.
Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) — who was best known for his lobbying and support of a “Trump Derangement Syndrome” bill in the Gopher State up until his arrest Monday — is accused of contacting an undercover cop posing as a teenager over the phone to arrange a meeting with them at a location in Bloomington, which is about 10 miles south of Minneapolis. The GOP senator allegedly went to meet the purported teen sex worker near the 8300 block of Normandale Avenue, where authorities swooped in and busted him.
“(Eichorn) was observed arriving in the area by pickup truck,” Bloomington cops said in a press release. “Eichorn was arrested without incident outside of his vehicle by uniformed Bloomington Police Officers.” Police said Eichorn was awaiting his first court date as charges were pending with the Hennepin County Attorney’s office.
“We are shocked by these reports and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation,” Senate Republicans said in a joint statement Tuesday after Eichorn’s arrest was first announced.
“Resign in disgrace,” said Rep. Elliott Engen (R-White Bear Township) on X. “Prosecute to the fullest. Throw away the key.”
Gov. Tim Walz reportedly said, “You cannot prey on children and expect to get away with it.”
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle called Eichorn’s arrest and the fallout from it a rare case of bipartisan backlash, with everyone agreeing that what he allegedly did was vile.
“There is a line in the sand,” said Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks), according to the Star Tribune. “If you’re accused with a felony, I think that’s serious enough — our law has distinguished that as a very serious crime. This clearly is a very serious crime, and so we are going to do the right thing as a caucus and we move forward in a very decisive way.”
Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) called Thursday a day “where Republicans and Democrats came together to recognize the threat of that predatory behavior, and we were ready to act.” She noted how Eichorn’s arrest would have put Senate interns at risk had he stayed on board while his case was still pending.
“It is hard to conceive of a way that Mr. Eichorn could have returned to this Capitol to operate in any way other than putting others at risk,” Murphy concluded.
