DFL senators release statement of support for Sen. Nicole Mitchell

After a number of calls for her resignation from her own party, several DFL senators sent out a message of support for Sen. Nicole Mitchell on Saturday.

On Thursday, the DFL party chair and Gov. Tim Walz both called on Mitchell to resign. This comes after she was charged with burglary after police say she broke into her stepmother’s house in Detroit Lakes last month.

RELATED: Walz, DFL leaders call for Sen. Nicole Mitchell to resign; senator says no plans to step down

Republican lawmakers have been calling for Mitchell’s resignation since the charges were filed.

Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville), Sen. Jen McEwen (DFL-Duluth), Sen. Tou Xiong (DLF-Maplewood) and Sen. Omar Fateh (DFL-Minneapolis) issued a statement saying calls for her resignation are premature and they support her as the legal process plays out.

“The allegations against Senator Mitchell as reflected in the criminal complaint are out of character for the Nicole Mitchell we have come to know. Certainly, we must not minimize the serious nature of the charges against her, but neither should we rush to judgment based on a police report, charging documents, or news stories. As she receives due process through the courts, she will have the opportunity to properly respond to the allegations against her. At that point, the courts and the public will hear all sides of the story.”

Mitchell’s next court date is July 1 in Becker County.