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Rep. Keith Ellison Calls for Investigation Into Abuse Claims In Effort to Clear His Name

Minnesota Congressman Rep. Keith Ellison (D) is calling on the House to launch an ethics investigation into claims he abused his ex-girlfriend, over a month after the woman went public with her allegations.

Ellison, a progressive Democrat and deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, announced Wednesday that he was submitting a request to investigate the allegations against him. The politician, who’s also running for Minnesota Attorney General, said he simply wants to clear his name.

Keith Ellison

Keith Ellison has denied the domestic abuse claims and said he has complied with an independent investigation. (Photo byJean Pieri / Pioneer Press)

“I’m taking this step now because I am innocent and eager to see this entire matter resolved,” Ellison said in a statement to Buzzfeed News. “In addition to any House investigation, an independent investigation has been conducted by an independent attorney. I have complied fully with that investigation, the results of which should be made public soon.

“These allegations have lingered in the public sphere, and remain unsubstantiated,” he continued. “I welcome an investigation by the House to allow us to move on.”

Last month, the congressman’s former girlfriend, Karen Monahan, publicly accused him of domestic abuse after her son made claims on Facebook that he saw a disturbing video of Ellison dragging his mother off a bed while shouting obscenities, according to Think Progress. Monahan herself has posted about the allegations on social media, recently sharing a screenshot of a doctor’s report from November 2017.

“It amazes me the measures people have to take for their humanity to be validated,” she tweeted, followed by the hashtag #MeToo.

The document states Monahan told her doctor she’d been in a very stressful environment for years and suffered both physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, the Star Tribune reported.

“She didn’t have any physical injuries that required a physical examination in the past,” the medical note reads. “She identifies the individual she was involved with as congressmen [sic] Ellison, and she is worried about retribution if she identifies him publicly.”

HealthPartners couldn’t confirm the authenticity of the document, however, saying it went against patient privacy rules.

Ellison has faced pressure from both Democrats and Republicans to have the claims investigated.

The Minnesota Democratic Party launched its own investigation after Ellison clinched the primary in August, the results from which haven’t been released yet. The Democratic National Committee is also reviewing the allegations.

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