The Story:
Keith Ellison, the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, has become a target of accusations of abuse in this age of #MeToo. A former girlfriend, Karen Monahan, has accused Ellison of what she calls “narcissist abuse” during their relationship. Monahan’s son has claimed that a videotape exists of Ellison dragging Monahan off a bed while shouting obscenities, though as of this writing he and his mother have not shared that tape.
Background:
Separate from his DNC position, Ellison — who has represented Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District since 2007 — is now running for the post of Attorney-General of that state. He won his party’s primary for that nomination, easily, on August 14.
The Thing to Know:
An editorial by the Minnesota Star-Tribune illustrates how a claim of the existence of a videotape can become all-consuming in such a matter. The editors wrote: “There either is a video or there is not. If there is, Ellison will have been caught in a serious lie that could bring his rise to an abrupt halt. If there is no video, Monahan will have been found in a lie.”
