When the news broke nearly simultaneously last December that Sen. Amy Koch was stepping down from her GOP leadership position due to an “inappropriate relationship” with a staffer and that Senate staffer Michael Brodkorb was being fired, it was hard not to speculate that there might be some connection. Wednesday night, the connection became clear as lawyers for Brodkorb confirmed that the former Senate majority caucus communications director was the staffer involved inappropriately with Koch.
The story took on bigger implications for the state today when during a press conference Brodkorb’s attorneys indicated that he would be seeking compensation from the Senate for wrongful termination and intends to depose female staffers and legislators who were involved in affairs together. Minnesota Twitter and Facebook accounts were soon abuzz, first summarizing Brodkorb’s claims, but before long speculating about the impact these developments would have on the GOP, the DFL and the state of Minnesota.
We’ve summarized the progression of the story on social networks in the Storify below. MinnPost will be back tomorrow with a more detailed analysis of the implications of this story for the GOP and the state by Cyndy Brucato.
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Common Cause
The Common Cause tweet hits the nail squarely: “No matter what happens taxpayers are going to get taken to the cleaners – high legal fees or payoff Brodkorb. Sad day.”
True, Walt –
But they’re taking a few hundred million out of our pockets for the St. Croix bridge to nowhere and another few hundred million so that Mr. Wilf’s kids can go to college. I won’t get anything out of those investments, while this augurs to provide a substantial entertainment value, at a fraction of the cost!
“not hard to speculate”
I find it revealing that the link in the first paragraph regarding the “not hard to speculate that there might be some connection” goes to the article written discussing whether MinnPost should or shouldn’t speculate.
Clearly, it wasn’t easy to speculate. That’s why your publication posted an article about it. At the very least, MinnPost avoided the ethical questions by writing a process piece about it.
Instead, the link should go to CityPages, who blatantly speculated, and got it right.
Have to ask…
Did they use contraception? And who paid for it!
Appears to be
Another example of the MN Republican party’s complete lack of financial expertise, but this time all MN taxpayers may have to pay.
Wow…
..I thought Republicans were against lawsuits? I guess this is just another case of Republican Hypocrisy. Whodathunkit?
Reporting
I think the fact that this story is being covered the extent that it is by secondhand twitter reports rather than substantive independent reporting is an indication of how hot it its.
How much of what Brodkorb knows is really secret?
I look at the tweets from MN reporters and I can’t help but wonder how many of them already know who’s on Brodkorb’s list, but won’t report those names until Brodkorb releases them.
Why is it news when a former dirty tricks blogger says it, but it’s not news when reporters gossip about it with politicians in bars?
It’s not hard to see why the Republicans were so resistant to letting The Uptake into the capitol. They’re already getting a free exemption from local media on scandal. If the press were really doing their job, Brodkorb wouldn’t be able to blackmail the legislature.
For what it’s worth, I am not sleeping with any legislators. I’d really like to know how many other Minnesotans can say the same.