Ellison claimed ex-wife abused him during their marriage in unsealed divorce records

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Is the DNC mishandling the Keith Ellison abuse allegations?

DNC chair Tom Perez won't say if he believes the domestic abuse claims against the Minnesota Democrat.

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., said in a 2015 court filing that his ex-wife repeatedly hit him and threatened to stab him during their 25-year marriage, according to records unsealed Wednesday.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune and the conservative news site Alpha News had sued for access to Ellison's divorce file, arguing it was a matter of public interest after an ex-girlfriend of Ellison accused him of domestic abuse earlier this year. Ellison, who is running for Minnesota attorney general and is deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, has repeatedly denied his former girlfriend's claims.

The Ellisons had tried to block the file's release, with Kim Ellison arguing that doing so would expose details about her issues with depression and multiple sclerosis, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals rejected that bid on Tuesday.

The records show that Keith Ellison made his abuse claim five years after divorce proceedings began in 2010. At the time, Kim Ellison was seeking additional spousal maintenance and argued that her ex-husband had failed to provide her health insurance as agreed.

In this Sept. 14, 2018 photo, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison is shown in Minneapolis. A Minnesota prosecutor says he'll review allegations of domestic abuse against Ellison only if a formal complaint is first investigated by law enforcement. An ex-girlfriend of Ellison, Karen Monahan, alleges the Democratic congressman dragged her off a bed by her feet in 2016. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Keith Ellison argued his ex-wife wasn't credible, going on to say that Kim Ellison "hit me too many times to mention" during their marriage and once bit him on the arm.

"The Respondent constantly blamed her physical abuse of me on her depression and MS, but would always do it again," Ellison said in the court filing. "Finally, I had to leave the marriage." Later, he added: "I never hit or assaulted the Respondent, although I am physically larger, quicker, and stronger than she is."

Keith Ellison also claimed that Kim Ellison faked suicide attempts on two occasions in 2007 and admitted that she did so "for the purpose of terrorizing me and getting attention." The document says that Kim Ellison stopped the mock attempts after doctors threatened to have her involuntarily committed.

In a statement Wednesday, Ellison said he was "extremely disappointed" that the divorce file had been unsealed and called his ex-wife "a wonderful person."

"One of the great regrets of my life is that I did not appreciate the debilitating effects of Kim’s illness until the doctors told us that it was Multiple Sclerosis and major depression," Ellison said. "I attribute the difficulties in our marriage to the disease and my failure to understand it. I was not nearly sensitive enough to the symptoms of her medical condition at the time, and for that I am deeply sorry.

"Kim and I have rebuilt a strong friendship as parents to our four wonderful children," Ellison added. "I am proud of the person Kim is. We are family, and I stand by her."

Ellison's former girlfriend, Karen Monahan, accused him in August of dragging her from a bed at his home in 2016. The accusation came just days before the Minnesota primary election, but Ellison went on to win his party's primary for attorney general. He is now in a close race with Republican Doug Wardlow.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.