MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Ex-Senate staffer Michael Brodkorb is accused of driving drunk and without a seat belt in connection with the Jan. 23 crash in Mendota Heights that left him seriously injured, according to charges filed Tuesday.
The Lilydale city attorney has charged Brodkorb with four counts, including fourth-degree DUI and having an alcohol concentration of .08 but less than .20, one count of careless driving and one count of no seat belt in connection with the crash.
Brodkorb, 39, was driving a 2004 Subaru Forester northbound on Interstate 35E at Highway 13 at about 9:15 p.m. that night when he hit the bridge wall at the walkway and then came to rest against the concrete barrier. Authorities obtained a urine sample from Brodkorb after the crash, which showed he had a blood alcohol level of .10 at the time of the incident. That’s above the state’s legal limit of .08 for driving.
He was taken to Regions Hospital, where he spent several days recovering.
Three of the charges are misdemeanors punishable by a $1,000 fine and/or 90 days in jail. The no seat belt charge is a petty misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $300.
Brodkorb was the chief spokesman for the Senate Republican caucus. In 2009, he was the deputy chair of Minnesota’s Republican Party.
Brodkorb was in the headlines last year when he was fired from the Senate after his affair with Amy Koch became public. He sued the state, claiming he was treated differently than female staffers who had affairs with male Senators.
