City Council candidate accused of posting wife's topless pic after restraining order issued: report

David Martinez, a St. Paul City Council candidate in Minnesota on Saturday, is accused of posting a topless photograph of his estranged wife on the campaign’s website after she filed a restraining order against him for domestic abuse.

A St. Paul City Council candidate in Minnesota on Saturday is accused of posting a topless photograph of his estranged wife on the campaign’s website after she filed a restraining order against him for domestic abuse, reports said.

David Martinez, 38, an Independent, is accused of sharing the picture of his topless wife on a beach with a description of their marital conflict on his campaign website’s blog section.

“Yesterday afternoon, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department paid me a visit at work. They presented me with a restraining order that my wife had filed with the District Court,” read the blog post, as seen by Fox News. The website has since been deleted.

"Yesterday afternoon, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department paid me a visit at work. They presented me with a restraining order that my wife had filed with the District Court."

— David Martinez

The poster accused the wife of fabricating and making up “most of the testimony contained within the restraining order” which was attached to the post. “I am shocked and amazed that someone can make up a story just so they can kick someone out of their own home and take the kids away."

He told KARE11 on Sunday that his campaign blog and social media accounts were hacked.

According to The Star Tribune, his wife’s affidavit claims that he physically assaulted her on July 4 in their basement while the children were upstairs. She alleged that he followed her to the laundry room, grabbed her around her neck and pushed her into a shelving unit.

The wife said she left the house after Martinez threatened to physically throw her out. She later called police so she could take the children with her and collect personal items.

“I have grown increasingly fearful and concerned about David’s behavior and am scared for me and our children,” she said, according to the newspaper. “He has become more erratic, verbally abusive and confrontational. I would describe his behavior as ‘unhinged.’”

"I have grown increasingly fearful and concerned about David’s behavior and am scared for me and our children ... He has become more erratic, verbally abusive and confrontational. I would describe his behavior as ‘unhinged.'"

— The wife of David Martinez

The wife noted that Martinez acquired mace and a BB gun in case “anyone gets in his face.”

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter on Sunday urged Martinez to drop out of the race following the controversy, the Twin Cities Pioneer Press reported.

"David Martinez’s behavior is disturbing and has no place in our city," Carter said in a statement. "I wish the best to his family and our entire community as we heal from the harm his acts have caused. He should drop out of the city council race immediately."

Martinez was also detained and banned for a year from the Target Field stadium on July 6 for disruptive behavior. A day before, he was arrested and banned from George Latimer Central Library for a month, the Tribune reported.

The candidate shared a video of his encounter with the security guards of the stadium filmed on his cell phone, claiming he was “assaulted by the security team.”

“No wonder people of color do not attend Minnesota Twins baseball games!” he said of the video. Martinez is of Puerto Rican heritage.