It’s Not Just Illegal Mayors

For years we have seen one after another of Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns (sic) being arrested. Usually the charges had to do with some sort of corruption. Now it seems that the Demanding Moms are wanting to join the party but with an “Illegal Senator”.

Minnesota State Senator Nicole Mitchell (DFL- Dis. 47) was charged with 1st Degree Burglary by authorities in Becker County, Minnesota for an early morning break-in. The burglary was of her stepmother’s home in Detroit Lakes, MN. Mitchell was dressed in all black, wore a black hat, and had a black sock over the lens of her flashlight. She supposedly was after pictures of her late father, his ashes, and other items. The stepmother who had been married to Mitchell’s father for over 40 years was reportedly afraid of her stepdaughter and had applied for a restraining order against her. She had also buried most of her late husband’s ashes but had sent a container with some of the ashes to Mitchell.

Mitchell was an Moms Demand endorsed “Gunsense” candidate in 2022 when she was first elected. She also has a boatload of endorsements from virtually every left-oriented group in Minnesota. Just last week she posted the picture of herself with Demanding Moms volunteers to X. Obviously, she was seeking their 2024 endorsement as she expected to get it for introducing a safe storage bill in March.

Meaningful conversation today with @MomsDemand community members advocating for common sense gun reform & safer communities at #mnleg–as well as providing Minnesotans the mental health services they need to #EndGunViolence in our neighborhoods pic.twitter.com/QencA4RE1J

— Senator Nicole Mitchell (@Sen_NMitchell) April 16, 2024

Not only is Mitchell a meteorologist, she is an attorney with a law degree from Georgia State. She is a member of the Minnesota Bar and is authorized to practice in Minnesota. One would think a licensed attorney would have used the court system to retrieve family memorabilia instead of engaging in an illegal, pre-dawn burglary.

As could be expected when the DFL has a one-seat majority in the State Senate, her arrest on felony charges is bringing different responses. Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy is upset by the allegations but believes “Senator Mitchell has the right to a full defense of her case in court.” Meanwhile, Republican Minority Leader Mark Johnson said her conduct was unbecoming and “she needs to resign from the Senate immediately.” Republicans might also object to Mitchell voting while she still faces felony charges.

Mitchell’s district is strongly Democratic (or DFL in Minnesota-speak). She won her election in 2022 with over 58% of the vote. I’m sure if she resigned, another DFL candidate would replace her.

All in all, being an Illegal Senator sure doesn’t seem like Minnesota Nice to me.

UPDATE: Mitchell is now trying to justify her actions by claiming her stepmother has Alzheimer’s and associated paranoia according to her post on Facebook.

Like so many families, mine is dealing with the pain of watching a loved one decline due to Alzheimer’s and associated paranoia.

Over the weekend, I learned of medical information which caused me grave concern and prompted me to check on that family member. I entered a home I have come and gone from countless times in the past 20 years, where my son even once had his own room.

Unfortunately, I startled this close relative, exacerbating paranoia, and I was accused of stealing, which I absolutely deny.

I am calling bullshit on this. I understand elderly dementia all too well as my mother suffered from it in that last few years before her death. Yes, there is paranoia associated with elderly dementia but there are ways to deal with it in a constructive manner. For example, Mitchell could have had a trusted friend of her stepmother’s to intercede on her behalf. She could have had her stepbrother or other family member accompany her to visit with her stepmother so as to get the family memorabilia.

According to her father’s obituary, family was important to him and he always celebrated holidays with them. The obituary includes Mitchell’s son and two foster children as surviving relatives. It said her father considered it a “great gift” when he became a grandfather to her son. As an obituary is usually approved by the surviving spouse, it makes one wonder if any issues between the stepmother and Mitchell were actually of Mitchell’s doing and not that of the stepmother.

As it is, breaking in through a basement window at 4:45am dressed in all black with a masked flashlight would only serve to a) increase her stepmother’s paranoia, b) is suspicious, and c) indicates bad intent.