GOP senators serving on an ethics committee never showed up Friday when the panel was scheduled to reconvene to take up a complaint against Sen. Geoff Michel. The complaint stems from how Michel handled revelations of a relationship between then Majority Leader Amy Koch and staffer Michael Brodkorp.

After two separate votes, the committee is deadlocked along party lines on how to handle it. DFLers brought the complaint accusing the Edina Republican was not forthcoming with information about a relationship involving former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch.

DFLers say the Senate deputy majority leader betrayed the public's trust by failing to respond quickly and honestly to allegations of an affair between Sen. Amy Koch and staffer Michael Brodkorb.

Senators say the lawsuit by former staffer Michael Brodkorb is complicating efforts to follow through with an ethics complaint against Sen. Geoff Michel. DFLers brought the ethics complaint over Michel's handling of the relationship between Brodkorb and former Majority Leader Amy Koch.

A committee spent hours debating but in the end reached no decision on a complaint from Democratic Sen. Sandra Pappas, who alleges Republican Geoff Michel mishandled the Amy Koch affair and misled the public.

Sen. Geoff Michel is accused of mishandling information about an affair between former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and staffer Michael Brodkorb. Senate rules requires the committee to decide whether Michel violated ethical rules by April 19.

The complaint comes after MPR reported the Republican Party paid Dave Thompson for consulting work while he was running for a Senate office in 2010. DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin says the exchange raises questions about whether the Republican Party was paying Thompson to run for office.

Edina Republican Geoff Michel says he won't seek re-election to his seat. He says 'ten years feels just about right,' referring to his tenure in the legislature. Michel's announcement comes just after he was considered for the Senate Majority seat following Amy Koch's resignation from the post.