Today, a State Senator’s burglary trial held up after political violence. Then, the East Bethel community reacts to current political rhetoric. And, MyPillow’s CEO is ordered to pay more than two million dollars in defamation fees.
Transcript
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR: Today, a State Senator's burglary trial held up after political violence. Then, a community reacts to the current political rhetoric. And, MyPillow's CEO is ordered to pay more than two million dollars in defamation fees
I'm Chantel SinGs.
A judge has postponed the burglary trial of State Senator Nicole Mitchell following the shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses. Jury selection was due to start in mid-June, but a judge granted a delay until mid-July, citing safety concerns. The decision comes after a gunman killed House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, and critically injured Senator John Hoffmann and his wife in targeted attacks. This is the second delay in Senator Mitchell's case. The trial was originally set for January, but was postponed so she could finish the legislative session. Mitchell is accused of breaking into her stepmother's house in 2024.
In today's main story, A Facebook post from an East Bethel city council member after the murder of Melissa Hortman sparked outrage online. Xan Holston reports on questions it raises about political rhetoric.
Suzanne Erkel: I believe we all have a responsibility to hold up, uphold, respectful dialog, especially in the wake of a tragedy.
Xan Holston: About 40 minutes north of the Twin Cities at an East Bethel city council meeting, member Suzanne Erkel addressed calls for her resignation. The outcry followed a Facebook post she wrote after the murder of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband. Her verbatim post read, "it's a warning to all Democrats. Town [sic] the line, or else." She later clarified she meant toe the line, but that the post auto-corrected.
Suzanne Erkel: I think it's fair to reflect on how language from leaders across the political spectrum can influence public perception.
Xan Holston: But it's unclear exactly what responsibility or reflection Erkel is interested in pursuing. While critics say she implied Democrats murdered their own over bipartisan votes, Erkel says it's others who misread her intent.
Suzanne Erkel: They're coming at me saying I'm advocating for the murder of all Democrats who don't vote Republican.
Xan Holston: Erkel said she was directly responding to Governor Tim Walz calling the shootings a politically motivated assassination, which she believes they were, but she questions who was behind it.
Suzanne Erkel: I think people are being paid to do stuff like this with I'm not even going to elaborate on because I have opinions that I cannot prove.
Xan Holston: She called her post an innocent concerned comment, and said the backlash has included harassment and threats. But she remains adamant that what she wrote was misunderstood. I honestly don't see how anybody got a threat out of it. It is a warning to all Democrats to toe the line, because in my mind it had no negative tone to it.
Mike Starr: That's a threat 100%.
Xan Holston: Mike Starr, a former St Francis School Board Chair who served with Erkel during her time there, disagrees. He said, even if she wasn't calling for more violence, suggesting the shooting was retaliation by Democrats, crosses a line.
Mike Starr: We as elected officials have to be careful in what we say and how we say something.
Xan Holston: Starr lives in neighboring Oak Grove, and couldn't speak during the public comments. And he was disappointed there wasn't a larger turnout of protesters. He's concerned by what he sees as a growing tolerance for conspiracy theories and aggressive rhetoric from public officials.
Mike Starr: You know, you read the paper, watch your news on TV. Both parties have said, Hey, we got to back down here.
Xan Holston: But others in the community see the backlash differently. Joseph Reiter lives in East Bethel. He said politics here have long been divisive. He said Erkel's post may have been clumsy, but it wasn't dangerous.
Joseph Reiter: I think what she meant to do is something satirical, and it really fell flat.
Xan Holston: For Reiter, the outrage says more about the political climate than the post itself. And despite the calls for her resignation, Erkel hasn't signaled any intention to leave office.
Joseph Reiter: I hope she doesn't leave. I don't know who would take her spot.
Xan Holston: But for Mike Starr, the post wasn't just a misstep.
Mike Starr: It was disqualifying. There's no way to spin what you said right here. There's no way to spin your way out of it, and she should resign.
Xan Holston: For North Star Stories, I'm Xan Holston,
ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories.
A court has ordered MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to pay two point three million dollars in a defamation case tied to the 2020 presidential election. A federal jury found Lindell and his media platform guilty of defaming a former Dominion Voting Systems executive whom Lindell called "disgusting" and "a traitor." The plaintiff said he's faced death threats and suffered career setbacks. Meanwhile, MyPillow, which still has its headquarters and one retail store in Twin Cities suburbs, has laid off workers, lost major retailers, and auctioned off equipment in recent years. Lindell says he plans to appeal the decision.
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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers dot org.