Minnesota Senator Justin Eichorn. The Guardian
A Republican state senator from Minnesota, who recently introduced a controversial bill labeling liberals obsessed with Donald Trump as mentally ill, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Justin Eichorn, 40, was taken into custody by Bloomington police. Authorities claim he believed he was arranging to meet a 17-year-old girl for sex but was actually communicating with undercover detectives. Police booked him on felony charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Police Chief Booker Hodges addressed the arrest, saying, "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."
Following the arrest, the Minnesota Senate GOP urged Eichorn to resign, calling the allegations shocking. In a statement, the Republican caucus said, "Justin has a difficult road ahead, and he needs to focus on his family." The Minnesota Republican Party also called for his immediate resignation, citing the severity of the charges.
Eichorn, who is married with four children, is one of the authors of a bill introduced this week that aimed to classify "Trump derangement syndrome" as a mental illness. The term is frequently used by Trump supporters to describe liberals who they believe are irrationally fixated on the former president.
The bill defines the syndrome as "the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump." It describes symptoms such as "Trump-induced general hysteria" and "an inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology in President Donald J. Trump’s behavior." The proposed bill also claims that the syndrome could lead to "intense hostility" toward Trump or "acts of aggression and violence against anyone supporting him or his symbols."
The charges against Eichorn have sent shockwaves through political circles in Minnesota. The incident has also drawn national attention due to the irony of a lawmaker promoting a mental illness bill being caught in such a serious crime.
The legal case against Eichorn is expected to proceed in the coming weeks, with the possibility of more details emerging as the investigation continues.
