In a recent interview, Minnesota attorney general candidate Keith Ellison claimed his campaign is “moving forward” after facing domestic violence allegations.
The former congressman sat down with Fox 9 Morning News Sunday, where he insisted that he is “absolutely committed to the MeToo movement.”
“I think that it’s important that literally millions of women over thousands of years have not been heard. I am committed to lifting up the voices of women who have had to face difficulty in terms of harassment and discrimination, but we are moving forward,” Ellison, who left a safe seat in Congress to run for the position, told the host.
Ellison said that he hasn’t been in contact with his ex-girlfriend Karen Monahan, who accused him of forcibly dragging her from a bed. After Monahan came forward, a 2005 police report resurfaced, showing that Ellison was reported for assaulting another woman.
“All I know is that I’m complying fully,” Ellison responded to questions on the status of the current investigation into the accusations. “I think it’s very important to do so, and I stand by the process.”
Ellison went on to criticize Republican opponent Doug Wardlow and his allies for “politicizing” and “weaponizing” the allegations.
“I think this is such a serious issue that politicizing it and trying to weaponize it is not the right thing to do,” he said, adding that he is “focusing on the issues that people care about.”
“That’s why I’m running for attorney general. That’s why I jumped out of what people called a pretty safe seat into a fairly statewide race, where anything can happen, because I have a burning passion to stand up for people who are facing the special interests and need an advocate on their side,” Ellison elaborated.
Wardlow, who has repeatedly attacked Ellison for holding a lapsed law license in the state, called the allegations against his opponent “very troubling” in a recent interview with MPR News.
“We’re bringing to light certain things about Keith Ellison that are troubling, that the voters of Minnesota need to know about. That’s all we’re doing, just dealing in facts and being very straightforward,” Wardlow stated. “All I know is that the allegations are very troubling, very serious. And I think it makes it difficult for him to make the case that he should be the state’s top law enforcement officer.”
Watch the interview:
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
