Republicans accused Democratic nominee for vice president Gov. Tim Walz of a power grab in Minnesota after he was slow to demand a resignation from an embattled state lawmaker.
Vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz waited to call on an embattled Democratic state lawmaker charged with burglary to resign until after the Minnesota legislative session ended in May and her critical vote was no longer needed.
State Sen. Nicole Mitchell of Woodbury was arrested at her stepmother’s home on April 22 and is charged with felony first-degree burglary for allegedly breaking in to get her late father’s ashes and some of his personal belongings. Mitchell has denied the allegations and sought to have her charges dismissed.
The arrest prompted the Minnesota Senate to remove Mitchell from her committee assignments and caucus meetings. Republicans were quick to demand that she immediately resign, but Democratic leaders, including Walz, did not follow suit until after the legislative session ended nearly a month later, on May 19.
GOP leaders say the episode demonstrated how Walz did what was politically expedient as governor rather than what was right.
« Democrats in Minnesota turned a blind eye to the criminal actions of their colleagues for one simple reason: to maintain power », Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson told Fox News Digital in a statement.
« Just like when he passed off blame for nearly a billion dollars of taxpayer money being lost to fraud, Tim Walz will pass the buck on doing what’s right unless it benefits him and his far-left agenda.
