Woman accusing Rep. Keith Ellison of abuse speaks out

[DonViejo]

By JERICKA DUNCAN CBS NEWS August 16, 2018, 7:39 PM

Last Updated Aug 16, 2018 9:37 PM EDT

Rep. Keith Ellison -- deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a candidate for Minnesota attorney general -- has denied allegations that he abused his ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan. On Thursday, Monahan, 44, spoke on camera for the first time about an incident she said happened nearly two years ago.

Monahan said she has video of what happened but that it's too traumatic for her, so she has chosen not to share it with anyone. CBS News has not seen the video.

Monahan said that in September of 2016, she and her then boyfriend, Ellison, got into a heated argument that scared her. She said it started when he came into a room where she was laying on a bed, listening to a podcast. He asked her to take out the trash and when he asked if she heard him, she shook her head.

"He looked at me, goes 'Hey you f***ing hear me … and then he looked at me, he goes 'Bitch, get the f*** out of my house,' and he started to try to drag me off the bed," Monahan said. "That's when I put my camera on to video him."

more + video
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/karen-monahan-woman-accusing-rep-keith-ellison-of-abuse-speaks-out-2018-08-16/

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

1. What a dope

Resign

[Funtatlaguy]

3. Hold your popcorn....let's see what evidence she has first please.

[qazplm135]

6. really?

So as she was being dragged off the bed, she decided to record it.

How's that work again?

If she has evidence, certainly will take it seriously.

But I'm never going to take anyone's word for it that someone else committed a crime sans any evidence at all.

[juxtaposed]

2. the video needs to come out

[NCTraveler]

4. The video needs to come out.

I am not going to say a negative thing about Ellison until it does.

Not only that, I will stay in his corner.

[David__77]

12. Even if a video did come out, what would be on it?

She said Ellison "tried to drag me off the bed by my legs and feet." Her son said the video "showed Keith Ellison dragging (his) mama off the bed by her feet." Did he pull pull her off the bed, or not? Did he gently pull her ankle? Did he throw her across the room? Did nothing of the sort occur? I have no idea.

I neither believe nor disbelieve the statements made by Austin and Karen Monahan.

[NCTraveler]

14. What video?

I see no point in speculation.

[panader0]

5. I call Bullshit.

She's had the video for two years and decides to talk about it just before the
primaries. What timing.
She's only claims to have a video, but since it's so traumatic, she not only
can't see it herself, but can't let anyone else see it.
She says he's pulling her off the bed, but she has time to grab her phone to
video him.
So I call Bullshit. If she can somehow find the nerve to release the video
and it backs her up, I will apologize.
In the mean time, someone should look for sudden large deposits in her
bank account.

[lark]

8. Exactly!

I will only believe this
1 - after I see the video
2- after her bank accounts have been researched for unusually large deposits
3- after she explains how she videotaped this while being violently pulled off a bed

In other words, sorry, show us the proof.

[Merlot]

10. I would need to know more

1. agreed, need to see video

2. invasion of privacy, should not happen. accusers should not feel be abused by the system.

3. if she was laying on the bed listening to a pod cast, she might have been listening on her phone which would have been close enough to grab if the altercation did happen.

[mythology]

13. Wait, you'd say that if there was video but somebody paid her

You wouldn't care if she was abused?

[lark]

18. No, it could be faked video like Leeann Tweeden, who was paid for a doctored photo & lies.

If someone paid her, I'd really doubt her veracity. Truth doesn't require payment, just lies. OTOH, if there was really abuse, Perez would need to go.

[bluestarone]

9. 2nd THIS

[Caliman73]

15. I wouldn't straight up call "bullshit" yet.

The idea however, that she "shouldn't have to show the video" is pretty silly. I mean, I can make an accusation about her. I was driving in Minneapolis or wherever they live, and she cut me off, flipped me off, pulled out a gun, and used racial slurs against me because I'm Mexican. I have video to prove it, but I am not going to show anyone because I shouldn't have to.

It is a difficult and sensitive subject and we never want to not believe people who say that they have been abused, especially by men in powerful positions. You start at plausibility but if she said there is proof and then she is refusing to show the proof, then that plausibility starts to decrease.

I don't question the process or motive at this point, but I question the idea that she has proof and she is not out there immediately showing it. That does not sit well. That is what makes it, as you have posted, seem like there is a motive that is not about justice or accountability.

[nini]

17. yep

She's ok to talk about it.. produce the tape to back up your accusations. This is serious stuff.

[ADX]

7. Since she says she has the video, either produce it or STFU...

...unless and until that happens, I'm calling bullshit.

[Lee-Lee]

11. I can understand her not wanting the video all over the TV for days

Most DV victims have a hard time even having accounts or video played in court because it revisits the trauma. It’s one reason why so many don’t pursue charges.


That said, I would like to see her offer to show the video to a trusted third party who can either confirm or deny it exists.

Maybe someone respected in the party, not from that state, not currently in office or running.

I’ll belive her, I do for anyone claiming DV until it’s shown false because it is so hard to come foward. People calling BS are doing both her and every DV victim struggling with coming foward a disservice by perpetuating the idea that women are not to be beloved when they speak up.

It’s ok to have doubts. And I don’t think he should resign on just allegations. But don’t be going around calling BS just because you don’t like the implications. Because that’s no different than the family and friends of a DV victim saying she’s lying when she finally speaks up because they like the abuser and he puts a totally different face on in public.

You may think by openly calling BS or saying she is a liar you are helping Ellison. But in the larger picture you are hurting every DV victim out there struggling with coming foward about their abuse showing them that they may not be believed.

[Caliman73]

16. Agreed. There are so many fears and so much stigma attached to DV.

You have to start at plausibility and allow the process to happen at her pace. There are things about the situation that give me pause, but I don't think that calling BS is the appropriate way to go either.

The video does need to be corroborated by a trusted and neutral 3rd party with no vested interest in the outcome. I don't care to see it splashed all over the news and I agree also, that the media often does not care about the impact to the victim as they put out salacious information for ratings. She made a claim however, that if it isn't true, can still have damaging effects on Ellison's career. If it is true, then Ellison needs to own up and be honest, but if he won't then the evidence needs to be presented.

[LanternWaste]

19. A third party observer sounds like a pretty good idea.

The two parties agree to one objective, neutral, third-party observer who either confirms or denies the existence of the recording, and the validity of her comments regarding it. It seems it would a) provide and keep secure a level of the accusers' privacy, and b) would put to rest any further speculation about its existence.

That said, this voyeurism-by-necessity puts a bad taste in my mouth, and seems to place heavier social burden (outside of jurisprudence) on the victim.

[Lee-Lee]

21. Someone like Jimmy Carter

His integrity is without question.

He won’t do thing to ever harm the party intentionally. But he would never suppress anything like this to help the party.

And he would never go blabbing about details of what he saw to anyone.

I keep trying to think of someone of equal stature and such that nobody could question, but no other names keep popping in my head.

[JCanete]

20. That's fair. I think she can be given the benefit of the doubt, as well as Ellison in a case like

this. Its a Schrodinger's Cat situation. We don't have the information to say whether the cat is alive or dead, so in the meantime I guess its potentially both?

certainly no need to trash her or pile on the disbelief train, but I would certainly need more before I adjusted my feelings towards Ellison, or reconsidered my vote.

[Tom Rinaldo]

22. She doesn't have to make the video public, but she does need to allow a trustworthy 3rd party verify

She brought this matter to the public, it is an accusation damaging to someone running for office. The stakes are high. She may be telling the truth or it could be a political hit job. Fine, it should be looked into. But she can't assert that a video exists that proves her case, then not allow anyone to see it while continuing to claim there is hard evidence that no one else can evaluate.