GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. - The phone at Glen’s Army Navy Store started ringing not long after news broke of the state senator hailing from this northern Minnesota city being accused of soliciting a minor for sex.
Republican Sen. Justin Eichorn used to work at the store owned by his uncle, Rusty Eichorn. The handful of anonymous callers prompted the owner to post on Facebook, and then print the post to tape on the front door of his business where customers were trickling in Wednesday for outdoor gear.
“He worked here part-time for a short period of his life in college,” Rusty Eichorn said of his nephew. “It’s unfair for us to be treated poorly. ... 99% of the comments have been supportive.”
But he’s not supportive of his nephew staying in elected office and said he should resign.
Justin Eichorn recently was elected chair of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRB), which works on economic development and community revitalization in northeastern Minnesota. He was elected to the Senate in 2016.
“I’m disappointed in his behavior, especially a person in his position, highly respected, I thought, in the Senate and Chairman of the IRRB. That’s a very, very big position, so I’m disappointed.”
Eichorn was arrested Monday in Bloomington by an officer posing as a 17-year-old girl. He was charged Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court with a felony count of soliciting prostitution from a minor over the age of 16. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also charged Eichorn with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
The Senate Republican Caucus has demanded Eichorn resign. “Justin has a difficult road ahead, and he needs to focus on his family,” it said in a statement.