Tipsheet

Keith Ellison Responds to Chilling Domestic Abuse Charges

Cortney O'Brien
Cortney O'Brien  |  August 13, 2018 1:25 PM

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) has been accused of domestic violence by the family of a former girlfriend, Karen Monahan. Monahan's son, Austin, described the relationship as being "pure hell" for his mother. In a Facebook post written on behalf of him and his brother, Austin says he found video evidence on his mom's computer last year of Ellison dragging her by her feet from a bed, calling her a "f***ing b**ch" and threatening her. Austin also found over 100 texts between the two with Ellison begging her to come back to him.

You can read the entire allegation below.

Austin said he texted Ellison, "I know what you did to my mama."

Ellison is currently running for Minnesota attorney general. These allegations surfaced just a few days before Tuesday's primary. State Rep. Debra Hilstrom, who also is running for the Democratic nomination, shared the Facebook post and demanded her opponent respond to the charges. 

He did.

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"I still care deeply for her well-being," Ellison wrote of Monahan. "This video does not exist because I never behaved in this way, and any characterization otherwise is false."

Yet, in one of the texts obtained by MPR News on Sunday, Monahan references the alleged video.

"We never discussed — the video I have of you trying to drag me off the bed," Monahan wrote to Ellison.

She commended her sons' bravery for coming forward with her story.

"He knew I was ready to share my story," she said. "I told them to brace themselves because I would be smeared," she added. "I took down my Facebook about two days ago, because I didn't want them seeing nasty messages sent to me."

Ellison has represented Minnesota in Congress for six terms and is currently serving as the deputy chair of the DNC.