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.

Attorneys representing the Senate majority's former communications chief say they'll seek damages for wrongful dismissal. Brodkorb was fired shortly after allegations surfaced that former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch was having an affair with an unidentified staffer.

Former Minnesota Senate employee Michael Brodkorb is filing suit against the state, the Minnesota Senate and the Secretary of the Senate, stemming from his firing late last year, the Star Tribune reports. Brodkorb was fired after then-Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch stepped down from leadership. She resigned after senators confronted her about the affair she was having with Brodkorb. In his suit, Brodkorb claims he was fired because he is male, "and therefore a member of a protected class based on his gender."

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.

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.

After more than 11 hours of debate at a hotel in Roseville, Minnesota Republicans chose Sen. David Senjem, of Rochester, to represent them as majority leader in the state senate. Senjem will replace Amy Koch, who resigned earlier this month after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a senate staffer.

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 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.