Minnesota Public Radio reports the former Republican Senate communications chief is appealing the Department of Employment and Economic Development's decision to reject his application. A hearing is set next week. Brodkorb was fired after his affair with former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch became public.

Brodkorb has hired employment law specialist Phil Villaume to handle possible legal action against the Senate. Brodkorb lost his job with the Republican caucus shortly after allegations surfaced that former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.

The ousted communications chief will reportedly file a lawsuit seeking $500,000, claiming Senate Secretary Cal Ludeman defamed him when he told the press Brodkorb was trying to "blackmail" the Senate through a wrongful-termination case. Brodkorb was fired from the Senate after his affair with then-Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch came to light.

Former Senate Republican staffer Michael Brodkorb is filing a gender discrimination complaint over his firing. He argues he was fired for having an affair with Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, while women who have affairs with male senators are not punished. Brodkorb's lawyer says the complaint is a step toward a lawsuit.

City Pages quotes an anonymous Republican senator who says the ousted Senate communications chief created a hostile work environment and that numerous legislators complained about his behavior but then-Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch refused to take action.

A lawyer for the Minnesota Senate is arguing that a lawsuit over a Republican ex-staffer's firing belongs in federal court instead of before a state judge, the Associated Press says. A filing Thursday seeks to transfer the lawsuit filed by Brodkorb, who contends he was wrongfully dismissed after an extramarital affair with then-Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch became known. Brodkorb's lawsuit was filed last month in state district court.

A federal magistrate judge in the case of Michael Brodkorb, the former state Senate GOP staffer who sued the Senate after he was fired in the wake of his affair with former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, has lifted a gag order in the case. And Brodkrob is talking. He says GOP Senate leaders wanted to get rid of Koch and those close to her, the Star Tribune reports. He would not discuss some details about the affair.

A former Minnesota Senate aide who was fired over an affair with the chamber's majority leader is slimming down his lawsuit against the state. Michael Brodkorb was fired last year after Senate leaders discovered his affair with then-Majority Leader Amy Koch. He is suing the state over the dismissal. Now he's dropping several invasion-of-privacy claims to focus on defamation and gender discrimination claims.