Minnesota Republican Resigns Post Over Allegation of ‘Inappropriate’ Relationship

Posted on | December 18, 2011 | 24 Comments

This news was a shock to me, involving allegations — and we must stress that these are only allegations at this point — against a female politician whom I have actually met:

Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch resigned from her leadership post the day after fellow Republicans confronted her about allegations that she had an “inappropriate relationship” with a staff member.
“We’re here today with a lot of humility and some sadness and even shock,” interim Senate Majority Leader Geoff Michel said Friday at a hastily called Capitol news conference. . . .
Koch could not be reached for comment Friday. Michel and the others refused to identify the staffer by name.
Michel and other senators said they had heard from several staffers over the past two weeks that Koch was having a relationship with one of her direct subordinates. They said that when they confronted Koch on Wednesday night, she didn’t admit to the relationship or deny it.
“Her response to the conversation was …’I think I need to consider resigning,’ “ said Assistant Senate Majority Leader David Hann, R-Eden Prairie. . . .
Not long after the news conference, Michel announced that Michael Brodkorb, who was Koch’s powerful communications chief, was no longer employed as a Senate staffer, effective Friday.

(Via TPM and Memorandum.) Gays are celebrating Koch’s downfall because she was an opponent of same-sex marriage. And enemies of Michele Bachmann are celebrating because Koch endorsed Bachmann’s presidential campaign in October.

As I say, I actually met Amy Koch while I was in Iowa in August. It was at a reception at the Iowa Governor’s Mansion, and I got a photo of Sen. Koch posing with Caffeinated Thoughts blogger Shane Vander Hart:

Of course, this was perfectly innocent, although I’m sure when I get to Iowa next week Shane will kill me for posting this. But how were we to know, in August, that Sen. Koch would subsequently be embroiled in a scandal? And I think this illustrates another unfortunate aspect of such a situation: Once a person is accused of an “inappropriate” relationship, this creates a shadow of suspicion about all of their other relationships.

Maybe Shane and I can hold a joint press conference in Iowa:

Bloggers Claim ‘We Did Not Have Inappropriate
Relations With That Woman, Senator Koch’

Category: Minnesota, Scandal

Comments

24 Responses to “Minnesota Republican Resigns Post Over Allegation of ‘Inappropriate’ Relationship”

ThomasD
December 18th, 2011 @ 10:00 am

Is either of the two married? If not could someone please explain the scandal?

Without resorting to leftist ‘sexual harassment’ horseshit, that is.
Anonymous
December 18th, 2011 @ 10:02 am

Yes, Koch is married and has a teenage daughter.
ThomasD
December 18th, 2011 @ 10:04 am

Well, that there is a problem,
ThePaganTemple
December 18th, 2011 @ 10:07 am

He’s her subordinate. It’s unethical.
The Party of Lies and Hypocrisy | Daily Pundit
December 18th, 2011 @ 10:28 am

[…] The Party of Lies and Hypocrisy Posted on December 18, 2011 7:28 am by Bill Quick Minnesota Republican Resigns Post Over Allegation of ‘Inappropriate’ Relationship : The … […]
Anonymous
December 18th, 2011 @ 10:34 am

He’s her subordinate.

IYKWIMAITYD.
Dcmick
December 18th, 2011 @ 10:42 am

Well, THAT needed to be stated EARLY in the post.

You left your readers hanging by failing to include vital information.
ThomasD
December 18th, 2011 @ 10:59 am

Would you argue the same thing if the two were married (to each other)?
ThomasD
December 18th, 2011 @ 11:03 am

Oh and, the spandex tube top really says it all…
Rose
December 18th, 2011 @ 11:19 am

From Clinton to this – the same question: “Does it affect his/her job performance?”

If it does not, then ‘personal relationships’ are none of anyone’s business.

If the allegations are true, it is indeed an ethical lapse, but not work related. Her husband should divorce her, as Hillary should have 86’d Bill. there’s no reason to resign.

Now – if she was lavishing the love interest with campaign or taxpayer money – different story. Or holding herself up to be a paragon of virtue (think John Edwards), then, different story. Otherwise, people have relationships. Maybe even make passes. Big deal.
Anonymous
December 18th, 2011 @ 11:31 am

Yes, another staffer can claim this creates and unequal employment opportunity since the married subordinate could curry undo favors of the principal.
ThomasD
December 18th, 2011 @ 11:35 am

Did you not catch the part where I asked that we not inject leftist horseshit?

Other staffers can bitch about whatever they want, but they work for the boss. If they don’t like the specific reasons why she favors one particular employee over another they can (and should) seek employment elsewhere.
Dcmick
December 18th, 2011 @ 11:45 am

She’s a chubster to boot, so I hope he was getting well compensated for whatever services he was tendering.
ThomasD
December 18th, 2011 @ 11:51 am

Power is a mighty aphrodisiac.
Anonymous
December 18th, 2011 @ 12:51 pm

Hey, some of us like the “chubsters.”
Only Republicans have to be faithful? « Don Surber
December 18th, 2011 @ 1:01 pm

[…] Americans become more tolerant of homosexuality they become less tolerant of infidelity. As Robert Stacy McCain wrote: “Once a person is accused of an ‘inappropriate relationship,’ this creates a shadow […]
Obama ‘Detached’, Emperor Newt Collapses, and Fun with Fallon | TaylorMarsh.com
December 18th, 2011 @ 2:03 pm

[…] removed relationship with the American people as Bush 41.Oh, and what would Christmas be without another Republican sex scandal?But the most noteworthy political report is compliments of Newt Gingrich, who channeled is inner […]
Ric Caric
December 18th, 2011 @ 2:21 pm

If you’re going to make the claim that you didn’t have an inappropriate relationship with Amy Koch, you’ll have to amplify it by also emphasizing how attractive you are. A full version of the statement would read “I can’t believe Amy Koch had an affair with a staffer because she didn’t proposition me in Iowa despite the fact that I’m extremely attractive.” At least that was the argument that an Arizone state senator made in relation to Herman Cain.
Richard Cranium
December 18th, 2011 @ 2:47 pm

You don’t have a problem with nepotism in elected officials? It’s a specialized form of corruption.
Bob Belvedere
December 18th, 2011 @ 4:17 pm

Where’s Dan Collins when you need him?
Anonymous
December 18th, 2011 @ 8:38 pm

The LEFT have created the laws that allows these situations to be “exploited”. Not defending it, just stating the current situation.
ThePaganTemple
December 18th, 2011 @ 9:19 pm

It’s never a good idea to engage in a relationship with someone you work with. That’s even true of people who are equal in the workplace. If they are business partners, that’s probably not a good idea either, but as long as the relationship started prior to the work association, its acceptable, but never with an employer/employee situation. But what this broad was doing was pretty much the equivalent of screwing your secretary. For one thing, that kind of situation can be bad for workplace morale, cause gossip, backbiting, infighting, and ultimately lost productivity. It’s just a damn distraction at best.
Tommy, tho people usually call
December 18th, 2011 @ 9:31 pm

Hoist by their own ass-holier-than-thou petard, once again.
Minnesota Republican ‘Made Some Mistakes and Errors in Judgment’ : The Other McCain
December 22nd, 2011 @ 11:12 pm

[…] were honor-bound to represent?More than a week has passed since this scandal became public — I first blogged about it Sunday — and while Senator Koch resigned her post as Majority Leader and said she would not seek […]