♪♪ ♪♪ >> Mary: TWO SENATORS ARRESTED IN TWO YEARS.

LUCKILY, WE HAVE SOME FORMER, AND I BET THEY'RE GLAD THEY'RE FORMER, SENATE LEADERS.

WE HAVE FORMER MAJORITY LEADER AMY KOCH, SHE'S A REPUBLICAN.

AND FORMER MINORITY LEADER SUSAN KENT, SHE'S A DEMOCRAT.

WELL, SINCE THIS TIME IT HAPPENED ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, WE'LL START WITH YOU.

I MEAN, THERE'S STILL FALLOUT, THERE'S STILL A NEW AHEAD LINE TODAY, SENATOR EICHORN, PROBABLY WASN'T HIS FIRST TIME.

NOW, NOT THAT THAT'S A SURPRISE, SOLICITING SEX ONLINE.

THIS STORY ISN'T GOING AWAY.

>> NO, THE STORY IS NOT GOING AWAY.

THIS IS INTERESTING.

SO HE HAS GONE, TYPICALLY, A STORY SORT OF WHENDZ THE PERSON STEPS DOWN.

BUT THIS ONE HAS A LOT OF JUICY, SALACIOUS DETAILS, AND I JUST DON'T THINK WE'VE HEARD THE WHOLE STORY.

I THINK THERE'S MUCH MORE TO THIS, AND THEY'RE SORT OF SLOWLY UNCOVERING.

SO I DON'T THINK IT GOES AWAY ANY TIME SOON, EVEN HOUGH THE SENATE REPUBLICANS WERE VERY SWIFT IN THEIR, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

>> >> Mary: THEY WERE, YES.

BUT YOU'VE SEEN THE CAUCUS BE SWIFT AGAINST ONE OF THEIR OWN, TOO.

>> WELL, I HAVE.

>> Mary: JUST SAYING.

>> I DO THINK COMPARATIVELY, THIS IS NOT -- THIS IS NOT APPLES TO APPLES SITUATION.

>> YES.

>> Mary: WE'LL GET TO THE -- [ OVERLAPPING CONVERSATION ] >> HERE'S THE DEAL, RIGHT, THE ALTERNATIVE IS, IF SOMETHING'S JUST WRONG, IT'S JUST WRONG.

>> Mary: RIGHT.

>> AND IT GOES TO JUDGMENT.

IT GOES TO, RIGHT, LIKE ALL OF THESE THINGS, BESIDES BEING ILLEGAL AND BEING, YOU KNOW, AND GROSS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, THINGS ARE JUST WRONG.

AND WHEN THEY'RE JUST WRONG, CALL IT, IT'S BAD FOR THE INSTITUTION, AND WE'LL GET TO THE OTHER SENATOR, I'M SURE.

>> Mary: YELL, WE WILL.

>> AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO LEAVE THAT OUT FOR THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS WRONG, IT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH AND THEY DID.

AND I'M PROUD OF THE REPUBLICANS FOR DOING THAT.

>> Mary: THE CURRENT FORMER SENATOR FROM WOODBURY, GOT DRAGGED BACK INTO THIS THE, AND THE WHOLE DEAL THAT THE DFL CAUCUS HAS NOT REALLY DEALT WITH, OF ANOTHER FELONY ARREST AND CHARGE.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

>> Mary: OF NICOLE MITCHELL, HOW DAMAGING IS THAT STILL FOR THE CAUCUS?

>> I AGREE WITH AMY.

IT'S A JUDGMENT ISSUE.

YOU KNOW, AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS STILL NEW IN THE SENATE AND WE WOULD GET LECTURES AT THE END OF SESSION, DON'T DO STUPID STUFF AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO BE HERE DOING YOUR JOB.

>> Mary: IS THAT NOT HAPPENING ANYMORE?

IS NOBODY HAVING THE DON'T DO STUPID STUFF TALK ANYMORE?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

WE'RE NOT HERE.

HINT TO FRIENDS, BE SURE AND TALK ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE TIMING WAS TERRIBLE.

>> Mary: I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, STEVE SVIGGUM, GIVING THOSE SPEECHES, TOO, BE CAREFUL, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TO BE FRANK, THE RURAL LAWMAKERS WHO ARE DOWN HERE HAVE A LITTLE MORE TEMPTATION WHEN THEY'RE NOT GOING HOME EVERY NIGHT.

>> SURE.

>> Mary: THAT'S FAIR, ISN'T IT?

IT'S HARD ON FAMILIES, DIFFICULT.

>> IT IS HARD ON FAMILIES, YOU SPEND ALL NIGHT, ALL DAY, IT'S VERY TOUGH ON FAMILIES.

BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO SORT OF DRAW A LINE BETWEEN DOING SOME DUMB THINGS.

REMEMBER THERE WAS A BIG EXPOSÉ THAT THEY WERE BRINGING IN COOLERS OF BEER, THAT WAS THE MOST SHOCKING THING.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> IN 2005 AND WHATEVER.

SHOCKING, NOT SHOCKING.

>> Mary: RIGHT.

>> THIS IS JUST NEXT EVEL, RIGHT, THIS IS A CHILD WHO'S BEING SEX TRAFFICKED.

YOU TALK ABOUT PROSTITUTION, SHE'S BEING USED BY ADULTS.

AND YOU'RE BUYING INTO IT.

>> Mary: YES.

>> THERE'S JUST SO MANY WRONG THINGS.

BUT, ALSO, THE SENATE DFL HAVE GONE ON FAR TOO LONG WITH NICOLE MITCHELL.

SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXPELLED.

IF SHE WASN'T GOING TO DO IT HERSELF, WHICH SHE APPARENTLY DOESN'T HAVE THE JUDGMENT TO, DO AND I DON'T THINK COMPARING CRIMES, WELL, THIS IS A LESSER FELONY.

SURE, GOOD FOR YOU.

>> Mary: BUT THERE'S A ONE-VOTE ADVANTAGE.

WASN'T THIS THE TIME, IF YOU WANTED TO GET RID OF HER, GET RID OF HER.

>> LISTEN, I'M THE ONE WHO CALLED FOR HER TO RESIGN A YEAR AGO, YOU KNOW.

BECAUSE OF THE JUDGMENTISH R ISSUE.

BUT I DO THINK, AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT YOU THE OTHER DAY, I FEEL LIKE WE OUGHT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT CHANGING THE RULES.

BECAUSE IT USED TO BE PEOPLE, IF THEY GOT CAUGHT DOING SOMETHING BAD, THEY WOULD RESIGN.

THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN ANYMORE, LOOK AT DONALD TRUMP, SANTOS.

>> Mary: THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST EXPULSION, IT'S NEVER HAPPENED.

>> THE PROCESS INCLUDES THE ETHICS HEARINGS, THE THE ABILITY TO DEFEND YOURSELF, WHICH YOU CAN'T DO IF YOU'RE DEFENDING YOURSELF IN A COURT OF LAW.

SO I THINK IT'S TIME FOR THE SENATE TO RECONSIDER THE PROCESSES BY WHICH THEY CAN DO THIS BECAUSE, I AGREE, THERE ARE SOME DOWNSIDES IF YOU JUST EXPEL PEOPLE WILLY-NILLY.

BUT, I MEAN, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AGAIN.

>> SOMEONE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAMED OUTRAGE HIS WEEK AND ACTUAL OUTRAGE DASH -- FEINED OUTRAGE.

FRANKLY, IN REGARD TO Y EXPERIENCE.

WHICH WAS THIS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED, OUTRAGE, YOU KNOW, THAT SOMEBODY JINKED UP, VERSUS -- >> WHICH WASN'T UNIQUE IN THE HISTORY OF THE LEGISLATURE.

GINNED.

WHAT WAS UNIQUE WAS THAT THE WOMAN GOT PUNISHED FOR IT, TO BE FRANK.

>> HOW MANY MEN -- YES.

>> BUT VERSUS ACTUAL OUTRAGE, THESE ARE CRIMES, THERE ARE VICTIMS IN BOTH OF THESE CASES.

AND IT'S -- IT'S LIKE SPITTING IN THE VICTIM'S FACE WHEN YOU DON'T TAKE CARE OF IT OR IT'S LIKE, SAYING, WE'RE SOMEHOW BETTER THAN YOU AND WE KNOW BETTER THAN YOU AND WE DON'T HAVE TO -- WE DON'T HAVE TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE.

>> Mary: SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT YET ANOTHER SPECIAL ELECTION DURING SESSION.

JUST ALL THESE UNPRECEDENTED THINGS THAT KEEP LINING UP.

LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CANDIDATES.

BECAUSE, INTERESTING, YOU'VE GOT GAZELKA, FORMER LEADER'S SON, YOU'VE GOT A CURRENT REPRESENTATIVE HEINTZEMAN'S WIFE, AND THEN, MOST INTERESTING, YOU HAVE THE FORMER REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR, WHO NOW SAYS SHE MIGHT SUE PEOPLE WHO ARE CLAIMING SHE HAD TIES TO A CHILD SEX TRAFFICKER.

HAVE YOU HEARD THAT?

>> YES.

>> Mary: DISAVOWING ANY CONNECTION TO ANTON LAZAR OWE.

>> EXCEPT THAT THEY HAD A PODCAST TOGETHER.

SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN SUE -- >> AND WAS HE AT THE WEDDING, AMY KOCH?

>> INDEED, HE ATTENDED EVENTS, INDEED HE DID.

>> Mary: THAT WAS NOT A LARGE WEDDING, JUST TO POINT -- >> NO.

>> Mary: POINT IT OUT, JUST TO OUT YOU HERE -- I DON'T MEAN TO OUT YOU, YOU KNOW THIS, RIGHT?

>> AND, AGAIN, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE DONATIONS TO THE STATE PARTY WHILE SHE WAS THERE.

AND, AGAIN, THEY HAD A PODCAST TOGETHER.

HOW CAN YOU CLAIM THAT YOU WERE NOT TIED TO SOMEONE -- AND I HAVE A PODCAST WITH XAVIER MORILLO, BRIAN McDANIEL, I'M NOT GOING TO BE DISAVOW THEM, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO.

THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE.

THE PLOOF IS OF IN THE PUDDING.

>> Mary: SHE IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL RIGHT NOW, SHE IS THE S THE MAYOR OF NISSA.

>> RIGHT.

>> Mary: IT'S POSSIBLE SHE COULD BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS RACE.

>> IT IS AMAZING THAT PEOPLE KEEP GETTING ELECTED, IN SPITE OF VERY TROUBLING RECORDS.

AND WE'RE IN A PRETTY TROUBLING MOMENT IN THIS COUNTRY.

>> Mary: AND BROUGHT BACK INTO THE FOLD.

DIDN'T THE CURRENT PARTY CHAIR INVITE HER TO THE INAUGURAL?

>> OH, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.

SO I CAN'T SPEAK -- [ OVERLAPPING CONVERSATION ] >> WHAT I'LL JUST SAY, FOLKS, THERE HAS -- THE OTHER THING THERE HAS TO BE, IS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, I BELIEVE IN FORGIVENESS, RIGHT.

SOMEONE'S GOT A D.U.I., SOMEONE MAKES MISTAKES.

>> ACCOUNTABILITY.

>> FORGIVENESS, BUT THAT CANNOT COME WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

AND WHAT I SEE FROM THESE FOLKS ARE, JUST LIKE TOTAL -- IT LIKE IF IT'S DELUSIONAL REFUSAL TO ACCEPT THAT YOU HAVE HURT PEOPLE.

>> RIGHT.

>> THAT YOU HAVE DONE WRONG.

>> RIGHT.

>> AND BECAUSE OF THAT, NOT ONLY THAT, I WILL RETAIN MY POSITION OF POWER TO ACTUALLY CONTINUE TO FEIN THAT DELUSIONAL PREMISE.

>> Mary: DOES IT MAKE PEOPLE LESS LIKELY TO EVEN WANT TO RUN AND SERVE, IT'S ALREADY HARD?

>> I THINK WE'RE ALREADY SEEING IT, YOU KNOW.

I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SEE THE HEATED RHETORIC, WHO SEE SOME OF THE BEHAVIORS, AND IT IS DISSWAYSIVE, I THINK, TO PEOPLE WHO WOULD TAKE THIS FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF PUBLIC SERVICE.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> A LOT OF SACRIFICES.

>> Mary: THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS DIDN'T ELECT A NEW WOMAN.

>> THERE'S THREE IN A CAUCUS