Minnesota’s Republican Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch abruptly resigned from her leadership post this week, and there are now allegations that she had an “inappropriate relationship” with a subordinate staffer.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Koch’s fellow Republicans confronted her about the alleged relationship. When Koch was confronted, she neither confirmed nor denied the relationship. “I think I need to consider resigning,” she said, according to the paper.
“There is no doubt that a manager cannot have such a relationship with someone they oversee, whose budget they oversee,” interim Senate Majority Leader Geoff Michel (R) said at a news conference Friday. “It’s pretty clear. That kind of relationship is inappropriate, it raises a conflict of interest and it creates … an unstable, unsustainable work environment for our staff.”
Rumors are swirling, as one could expect, but no one is saying who the staffer is. Koch’s communications director, Michael Brodkorb, no longer works for the Senate. The news was revealed Friday evening, but local media haven’t locked down whether he was dismissed or resigned. There is no confirmed connection between Koch’s leadership resignation and the news that Brodkorb is out.
Koch was the Minnesota Senate’s first female majority leader, and she was a key player in negotiations with Gov. Mark Dayton (D) ahead of and during the state’s three-week government shutdown. She is married and has a daughter. Interim leader Michel did not return TPM’s request for comment.
David Taintor
David Taintor is TPM’s News Editor. He contributes to TPM’s Livewire coverage, among other areas. David is from Chanhassen, Minnesota, where, yes, it gets very cold. Reach him at taintor [at] talkingpointsmemo.com
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