Gross

Just reading this story gives me the creeps. 

Minnesota Republican Sen. Justin Eichorn has been arrested on suspicion of soliciting a minor for prostitution, according to Bloomington police.

Bloomington police said in a press release that detectives communicated with Eichorn, who thought he was talking to a 16-year-old female, and arranged to meet him at a location near the 8300 block of Normandale Avenue in Bloomington Monday.

According to police, Eichorn was observed arriving in the area in a pickup truck and was arrested without incident outside of his vehicle by uniformed officers.

Police said he was booked into the Bloomington Police Department’s jail and will be transported to the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center. Felony charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution are pending from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, the press release said.

“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 we are going to lock you up,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said. “I have always advocated for stiffer penalties for these types of offenses. The recent case involving Michael Gillis who was arrested in Bloomington is a prime example of why we need stronger penalties. We need our state legislature to take this case and this type of conduct more seriously.”

Literally within minutes after this story broke, the MN Senate Republicans called on Eichorn to resign.  

I'd like to think that GOP activists would universally agree that Eichorn needs to move on in order to focus on his legal troubles, so I'm hoping I don't hear of any of 'em invoking the Dems' lack of principle regarding Sen. Nicole Mitchell's legal woes. If you believe that the DFL woefully lacks strong moral character by not having their caucus call on Mitchell to resign, then we ought not be playing the same game with Eichorn's situation.

Politics aside, my heart breaks most for Eichorn's wife and four children. Just an awful situation for them all around. 

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