This Friday, GOP Lawmakers announced that they have filed an ethics complaint against the Minnesota Senate President Bobby Joe Champion. (DFL – Minneapolis) Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) tells us why the ethics complaint was filed. 

Senator Johnson made a comparison to the recent legal trouble involving Senator Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury), and he called for legislators to be held to a higher standard. 

Following the complaint Senator Champion issued a statement that read: 

“I am aware that the Republicans have filed an ethics complaint based upon the same facts for which I voluntarily sought an advisory committee from the Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct. 

“To allow this process to move forward, I’ve also asked to temporarily step aside from my role as chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee until this situation is resolved. I was not paid for the legal work in question, and have a practice of not charging churches that ask me for legal support or advice. 

“The Supreme Court encourages lawyers to provide pro bono services as a part of our practice. Our conflict of interest rules cover situations that directly and financially benefit individual legislators. 

“Because my work in this matter occurred in the past, and was unpaid, there was no potential conflict to disclose.”