Ellison accuses ex-wife of physical abuse, divorce records show: report

Records related to Rep. Keith Ellison’s (D-Minn.) divorce contain allegations that the congressman and Minnesota attorney general candidate was physically abused by his ex-wife, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported Wednesday.

In the 2015 filing, Ellison accused his ex-wife Kim Ellison of repeatedly hitting him throughout their 25-year marriage, according to the newspaper.

Ellison is currently facing allegations from an ex-girlfriend that he physically abused her during their relationship. The congressman has denied those allegations and a Democratic investigation into the matter determined that the claims were unsubstantiated.

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Ellison is currently running for Minneapolis attorney general, having opted not to pursue reelection. The abuse allegations from his former girlfriend Karen Monahan have loomed over his campaign for months.

The divorce records were unsealed as the result of a lawsuit by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and conservative website Alpha News, which argued that the documents were of public importance because of the allegations against Ellison.

Ellison, who also serves as the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), slammed the legal efforts to unseal the divorce records on Wednesday, calling it “shameful and outrageous,” according to the Star-Tribune.

The Ellisons sought to keep the records from being unsealed, arguing that their divorce was a private matter. Kim Ellison said at a news conference on Tuesday that unsealing the divorce records would expose private information about her depression.

In a statement reported by the Star-Tribune, Ellison said that he and his ex-wife had moved past the divorce and now have an amicable relationship.

“I attribute the difficulties in our marriage to the disease and my failure to understand it,” Keith Ellison said in his statement.

“I was not nearly sensitive enough to the symptoms of her medical condition at the time, and for that I am deeply sorry,” he said. “Kim and I have rebuilt a strong friendship as parents to our four wonderful children. I am proud of the person Kim is. We are family, and I stand by her.”