Michael Brodkorb’s wrongful termination case against the Minnesota Senate is heading toward the deposition phase — and potentially awkward moments for some legislators.
Federal Magistrate Arthur Boylan has set May 2 for a pre-trial conference to include the names both sides want to depose.
Brodkorb has promised to identify legislators and staff members who had personal relationships similar to the one he had with former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch to prove that his firing was handles differently from earlier cases, amounting to unfair treatment.
Prior to the pre-trial meeting, Boylan has ordered Brodkorb and the Senate into private settlement talks to take place on or before April 11.
If a settlement is not reached, and that is seen as unlikely, both sides must report to the court on April 25.
The court has dismissed Brodkorb’s libel claims against the Senate but has allowed the wrongful termination case to proceed. The Senate has maintained that Brodkorb was an at-will employee who could be fired without cause.