Keith Ellison Accuser Continues to Call for Examination of Abuse Allegations

On Sunday, Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for an investigation into allegations of abuse against U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, who is running for attorney general in the state.

Hirono’s comments came as she criticized Brett Kavanaugh over an allegation that he assaulted Christine Blasey Ford in high school. Many conservatives have protested that Ellison has not faced similar scrutiny.

On Friday, Ellison sparked further speculation when he said in a televised debate that he would not rule out the possibility of more women coming forward with what he said would be made-up accusations. “Look, you know, in this political environment, you know, I don’t know what somebody might cook up,” he said. “But I could tell you that there is absolutely nobody that I am aware of … who is threatening or suggesting or who has ever made a prior accusation about me.”



Ellison has been accused by two women of abusive behavior. In 2006, Amy Alexander claimed he “berated” and “pushed” her during an on-and-off relationship in the 1990s and early 2000s. He had sought a restraining order against her in 2005, and the next year a judge dismissed her request for a restraining order against him, according to the Star Tribune. More recently, his former girlfriend, Karen Monahan, accused him in August of repeated verbal abuse and one instance in which he pulled her from a bed by her ankle and shouted at her. She claims to have video evidence of the incident but will not release it, saying it is traumatic. Ellison has denied both allegations.