Keith Ellison Denies Allegations Of Abuse Against Former Girlfriend
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Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) is denying allegations of abuse against a former girlfriend, just days before he runs in Minnesota’s primary for attorney general, ABC News reported Monday.
Austin Monahan, the son of Ellison’s former girlfriend Karen Monahan, shared a post on his Facebook page detailing physical abuse by the congressman during the relationship. Monahan wrote that he saw lurid text messages and tweets Ellison sent his mother, including victim shaming, bullying and threats if she were to make the abuse public. He also said he found a video on his mother’s computer of Ellison dragging her off a bed as he screamed at her.
Ellison, a Democrat who has represented Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District since 2007, denied the abuse in a statement Sunday, claiming the video does not exist.
“Karen and I were in a long-term relationship which ended in 2016, and I still care deeply for her well-being,” Ellison said in the statement. “This video does not exist because I never behaved in this way, and any characterization otherwise is false.”
In a statement to MPR News, she said Ellison met with her the night before he filed to run for attorney general, worried she would talk about their relationship. She said she didn’t make any promises.
She said her son struggled to stay silent for a long time.
“He knew I was ready to share my story,” she said. “I told them to brace themselves because I would be smeared. I took down my Facebook about two days ago, because I didn’t want them seeing nasty messages sent to me.”
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at fisher@forward.com, or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
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