Republican Minnesota State Senator Justin Eichorn—known for authoring anti-trans legislation and proposing a bill that would classify hatred of Donald Trump as a mental illness—was arrested yesterday for allegedly attempting to solicit sex from a minor. According to a statement from the Bloomington Police Department, Eichorn believed he was arranging to meet a 17-year-old girl for prostitution, but was actually communicating with law enforcement officers. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is expected to file felony charges against him for Soliciting a Minor Under 18 for Prostitution. Eichorn is married with four children.
Eichorn co-sponsored SF 2531, a bill that would ban transgender women from women’s sports. The bill stipulates that if there is “a dispute” regarding a student’s “female sex,” the student must present a physician’s statement based on “internal and external reproductive anatomy,” “naturally occurring level of testosterone,” and “an analysis of the student’s chromosomes.” Eichorn is a vocal supporter of anti-trans advocate and former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines, backing both her activism and the bill’s invasive requirements as necessary to “save women’s sports.”
Eichorn also introduced SF 2589 over the weekend, a bill that seeks to classify “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as a mental illness. The bill defines the condition as an “acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump,” using vague language to describe “hostility” and “aggression” toward Trump and his supporters. The term, which has no scientific basis, emerged during Trump’s first term as a rhetorical tool to dismiss critics without addressing their arguments. State Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL) condemned the proposal, calling it “possibly the worst bill in Minnesota history.”
In response to fellow Sen. Nicole Mitchell (DFL) being charged with burglary last year, Eichorn called for her resignation, stating, “Her premeditated actions are disturbing. They do not align with the values Minnesotans expect of their elected leaders, and she needs to resign from the Senate.”
"As a 40-year-old man, if you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, you can expect that we are going to lock you up," Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said in the released police statement, referencing increased policing in Bloomington due to the Mall of America. He went on to advocate for stricter legal penalties for pedophilia.
The Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus released a statement calling for him to resign, saying, “We are shocked by these reports and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation. Justin has a difficult road ahead and he needs to focus on his family.”
The chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Alex Plechash, said in a statement on Twitter, "As Republicans, we hold elected officials to a higher standard. While Senator Eichorn is entitled to due process, the seriousness of these charges warrants his resignation. Public trust and accountability must come first."
Majority Leader Murphy issued a statement regarding Eichorn’s arrest, stating, “The felony allegation against Senator Eichorn is deeply disturbing, and raises serious questions that will need to be answered by the court, as well as his caucus and constituents.”
DFL executive director Heidi Kraus Kaplan said in a statement, “No one who solicits children belongs anywhere near public office or the State Capitol. The facts presented by [police] make it clear that Senator Eichorn is an immediate danger to the public and must resign immediately.”
Eichorn’s office did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
This article originally appeared on Erin in the Morning.
