(St. Paul Pioneer Press) The national phenomenon of women alleging sexual harassment by men in power erupted in the Minnesota Capitol, following allegations that broke overnight against one lawmaker and expanded Thursday to include a second.
Two women publicly accused Sen. Dan Schoen, a St. Paul Park Democrat and Cottage Grove police officer, of sexual harassment, igniting a bipartisan chorus of calls for Schoen’s resignation — which he did not heed — and touching off speculation about who might come forward next with allegations against whom. Schoen denies any inappropriate conduct.
One of the accusers, Rep. Erin Maye Quade, a fellow DFLer from Apple Valley, expanded the scope of the spotlight Thursday, saying she had been sexually harassed by “multiple members” of the House majority Republican Party during the spring legislative session.
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Then Rep. Tony Cornish, a powerful eight-term Republican from Vernon Center, saw his chairmanship of the House Public Safety Committee suspended late Thursday after allegations surfaced against him.
