Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn, a Republican, resigned Thursday after being charged with solicitation of a minor, stepping down as lawmakers prepared to expel him, The Hill reported.
Eichorn submitted his resignation in an email to Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, which was read aloud on the Senate floor by Senate Secretary Tom Bottern.
"I must focus on personal matters at this time," Eichorn wrote, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune. "It has been an honor to serve in the Minnesota Senate."
Eichorn was arrested Monday in a sting operation conducted by the Bloomington Police Department.
Investigators had placed multiple ads online offering sex for money, according to the charging documents. Eichorn exchanged text messages with an undercover officer purporting to be a 17-year-old girl for several days until they arranged a meet-up, where he was arrested.
"I saw your post and (sic) chance you are still available tonight?" one asked, according to an FBI affidavit, while a later message asked, "What's a guy gota do to get with the hottest girl online tonight."
The federal charge is attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. Six other suspects were arrested in the sting, prosecutors said.
He was charged by complaint in U.S. District Court on Wednesday.
Eichorn, 40, has been jailed since his arrest in Bloomington on Monday in an undercover operation targeting commercial sex involving juveniles.
At Eichorn's first court appearance Thursday, Magistrate Judge Shannon Elkins ordered his release to a halfway house with GPS monitoring once a space opens up. She ordered him to have no unsupervised contact with minors and only restricted, monitored access to computers and the internet. He did not enter a plea. His next court appearance is set for Wednesday.
Following the revelation of the charges, bipartisan calls for Eichorn's resignation grew, with lawmakers preparing to vote on what would have been the first expulsion in modern Minnesota history.
"There is a line in the sand," said state Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, a Republican, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.
"If you're accused with a felony, I think that's serious enough — our law has distinguished that as a very serious crime. This clearly is a very serious crime, and so we are going to do the right thing as a caucus, and we move forward in a very decisive way."
According to Eichorn's profile, which has now been removed from the Senate website, he is married with four children. He listed his profession as entrepreneur and was first elected in 2016. He got some national attention earlier this month as one sponsor of a bill that would designate "Trump derangement syndrome" as a mental illness.
The governor, who had been among the many Democrats who also called for Eichorn's resignation, will have to call a special session to fill the empty seat. Until then, Senate Democrats will have a two-seat majority. The northern Minnesota district voted heavily for President Donald Trump in the November election.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.