So far, only the timing of their departures connects Amy Koch and Michael Brodkorb, but that hasn't stopped news outlets from trying to connect the dots.

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.

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.

The Senate Rules Committee will meet Wednesday to discuss how to proceed with the Michael Brodkorb case. The former staffer claims he was wrongfully fired over his affair with a Senator and has laid the groundwork for a gender discrimination suit. Brodkorb argues plenty of female staff members have affairs with Senators and go unpunished. The Senate is paying $330 an hour to defend itself, even before the suit is filed.

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.

Michael Brodkorb's threatened lawsuit has prompted the Minnesota Senate to spend $85,000 preparing a defense. The former Republican staff member, who says he was wrongfully fired, met with Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem in a St. Paul coffee shop Monday. Brodkorb's lawyer says he was blindsided by the meeting and calls it a chance encounter he would not have authorized.

WCCO is reporting that four Republican Senators held an emergency meeting with Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch on Wednesday night after learning about possible improper conduct. Koch resigned unexpectedly on Thursday.