A federal judge has rejected former Minnesota state senator Justin Eichorn’s claim that he is being unfairly targeted in a federal child-solicitation case because of his past role in public office. Eichorn, 41, was arrested on March 17 during a Bloomington police sting operation. Investigators say the undercover operation involved officers posing as a 17-year-old, and Eichorn was among several people who showed up believing they were meeting a minor. He resigned from the Senate three days later, just before lawmakers were set to vote on whether to expel him. He later pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of attempting to solicit a minor.
In August, Eichorn’s attorney, Charles Hawkins, argued that federal prosecutors singled him out due to his political status. According to Hawkins, 19 people were arrested in the sting. While some are being prosecuted in state court, only four—including Eichorn—were charged at the federal level. He also said the others facing federal charges had more serious criminal histories, while Eichorn’s record only included a minor traffic offense. Based on that, he claimed Eichorn was facing harsher treatment because he was a former lawmaker.
Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins dismissed that argument in a written ruling filed this week. She noted that the federal government had also charged three other people from the same sting who were not public officials. This, she wrote, makes it clear that prosecutors were not targeting Eichorn for his position or political background.
Elkins explained that prosecutors are allowed to consider certain factors when deciding whether to bring federal charges, and one of those can be a person’s level of public visibility. She noted that holding public office does not give anyone special protection from criminal consequences, and the law is meant to apply equally to everyone. She added that prosecuting public officials can help reinforce the idea that no one is above the law, which is a legitimate reason in charging decisions. However, she emphasized that the government specifically denied targeting Eichorn for political reasons and there was no evidence showing bias.
The judge also ruled on several other requests from Eichorn’s legal team. She agreed that the government must provide the birthdate of the undercover officer involved in the case, since the officer was pretending to be a minor and age is a key part of the charge. However, she denied the request for the officer’s identity, saying it was not necessary for Eichorn’s defense.
Hawkins had argued that knowing the officer’s identity could help show what Eichorn believed during the alleged communication. But the court decided the birthdate alone was enough for the defense to address that issue.
Prosecutors also said they would not use Eichorn’s statements made after his arrest during the trial. But the judge denied Eichorn’s attempt to block evidence found in his vehicle at the time of the arrest. According to the arrest affidavit, officers reported finding cash and a condom when he arrived at the meeting location. Eichorn’s attorney tried to suppress that evidence, but the judge ruled it could be included.
With this week’s ruling, the case will move forward toward trial in federal court, where Eichorn will continue to face the charge of attempting to solicit a minor. He remains free while the case continues and maintains that he is not guilty.
