Late Saturday night, Austin Aslim Monahan, who identified himself as the son of the ex-girlfriend of Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), made a Facebook post with quite a long list of abuse allegations against Ellison. Conveniently, Monahan also tagged several people and media outlets in his post, including Debra Hilstrom, who is one of Ellison’s opponents in the primary this coming Tuesday.

The content of Monahan’s post prompted a comment from Hilstrom.

This post was brought to my attention because I was tagged in this post. Domestic Violence is never ok. The incidents described are troubling. I call on Keith Ellison to answer these allegations.https://t.co/CQ1LSVfZqf

— Debra Hilstrom (@debrahilstrom) August 12, 2018

At first, it seemed that the story wouldn’t get much traction, even as media was quite easily able to confirm that the woman in question was indeed connected to Ellison. Ellison’s campaign put out a statement that denied any domestic abuse.

NEW: @EllisonCampaign responds to domestic abuse allegations @WCCO #wcco #mnleg #politics pic.twitter.com/4HxDLzMuwh

— Mary McGuire (@mcguirereports) August 12, 2018

Keith Ellison flatly denies allegation that he abused an ex girlfriend. The story had been circulating in MN, and not held up under media scrutiny, so no stories ran. It blew up last night after the ex’s son posted the allegation on Facebook. pic.twitter.com/A3VQQhgzQh

— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 12, 2018

Of course, this is the same local and national media that has shown a complete lack of interest regarding Ellison’s supposed successor, Ilhan Omar, and her weird marital and relationship history. So, I can see the purpose behind Monahan’s son posting the story on Facebook first. When you can’t get the media to pay attention, go viral instead and force them to pay attention.

Karen Monahan then released text message conversations between herself and Ellison on Twitter, and then went on to release a full statement to the press.

UPDATE: @KarenMonahan01 just posted a very lengthy alleged text from herself to @keithellison from December 22, 2017. His alleged response on December 23, 2017: “Ok. I will be in touch.”

(Note: I blacked out what is allegedly @KeithEllison’s phone number — the only edit I made) pic.twitter.com/ShrtyyJMEn

— Jeremiah Stephan Dunleavy IV (@JerryDunleavy) August 12, 2018

It’s worth noting that @KarenMonahan01 had been somewhat cryptically alluding to these allegations of abuse for many months now (without bringing @KeithEllison’s name into it directly until the past day) — and it looks like she has plenty of texts to share. pic.twitter.com/bB9GKa3wi0

— Jeremiah Stephan Dunleavy IV (@JerryDunleavy) August 12, 2018

.@KarenMonahan01 responds to @KeithEllison: “What my son said is true. Every statement he made was true.@keithellison, you know you did that to me.” pic.twitter.com/dxbSoDP8YQ

— Jeremiah Stephan Dunleavy IV (@JerryDunleavy) August 12, 2018

April 2018 pic.twitter.com/7ucO8GwD6z

— Karen Monahan (@KarenMonahan01) August 12, 2018

2nd
April 2018 pic.twitter.com/sNSvccEUON

— Karen Monahan (@KarenMonahan01) August 12, 2018

What my son said is true. Every statement he made was true.@keithellison, you know you did that to me. I have given every opportunity to get help and heal. Even now, u r willing to say my son is lying and have me continue to leak more text and info just so others will believe him

— Karen Monahan (@KarenMonahan01) August 12, 2018

For you to get help and heal. Told u that would be what I would could consider a Just ending to this hell my family and I have been through. I said that the night before u announced ur run 4 AG.

— Karen Monahan (@KarenMonahan01) August 12, 2018

Monahan accuses Rep. Ellison of abuse in statement – Story | KMSP https://t.co/i2SPgIUyv0

— Karen Monahan (@KarenMonahan01) August 13, 2018

I released this statement this evening. This is to all the survivors out there! #Solidarity #metoo @DoctorRamani #timesup @narcopathaware @Light_Life_Love @acalltomen https://t.co/6Fk4ZG53Yd

— Karen Monahan (@KarenMonahan01) August 13, 2018

Monahan’s side of the story can be read here, and it is long. Now, Monahan is clearly in the social justice warrior leftist camp, and everything in her statement is couched in that terminology – and yet she is accusing Ellison of verbal, emotional, and physical abuse.

I am a #METOO survivor and I am focusing on violence toward women and the intersectionality with other oppressive systems. Women of color who may not have an economic advantage that others have access to, are disproportionately impacted by violence. We recently heard how a woman of color was dismissed by police officers when it was reported she was raped, all because she had a troubled past. These kind of stories are everyday in this country. Anita Hill was smeared and dismissed when she shared her story regarding a male in power. There are countless stories throughout history and currently where women who break their silence are smeared, minimized, punished, bullied and cast out of communities. Lindsey Port in Minnesota, shared her story, a story of violence and trauma, and the progressive community, who was pointing fingers at the other party about the same atrocities, crucified her. They bullied her, isolated her, withheld promised donations to her organization, which helped build individuals capacity to be part of the social change, and much more.

The progressive movement was using the hashtag #ibelieveher #metoo #timesup and elevating violence and exploitation of women and young girls when the Republicans stories were coming out. This was now the new emerging issue the progressives wanted to champion. Many women and young girls sat in their homes all across this country and finally felt validated and that their humanity mattered. People across the country began sharing their stories, most didn’t make the news. Then all of a sudden, stories began to emerge on the other side. All of a sudden those hashtags, talking points began to disappear by many. Many leaders began to run for the hills. This wasn’t the issue they wanted to discuss anymore, they wanted to talk about “the real issues”. They were tired of being distracted by Trump’s women coming out and sharing their stories. For many women across the country it was retraumatizing. Violence toward women was finally being taken seriously by one political party and then it wasn’t. In fact, many people who used their issue to score political points began victim shaming and minimizing the impacts, trauma that violence breeds. It was cruel all around. When you dismiss violence toward any human, you negate their humanity. You have to see them separate from your humanity and therefore their pain must be less of value than yours.

After a several years of being in a relationship with Keith Ellison, It became clear, I had survived narcissist abuse. Unless you have been through narcissist abuse, it is the most difficult form of abuse to articulate. It leaves survivors (if they survive) with serious health impacts, complex ptsd, depression and so many other devastating impacts. It is a slow insidious form of abuse. You don’t realize it is happening until it’s too late. Now that I understand it and have done so much healing, I can look back at certain moments and experiences in this relationship and they now make perfect sense. I or nobody else can diagnose a person with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). But I am well aware of the traits and I witnessed each one of them.

The complex PTSD started around 2014, I knew something wasn’t right but couldn’t put my finger on it. Every part of me began to change, including my health. I couldn’t remember things as well, my mind was slow at times and then it would race. By time I left the relationship in the middle of January 2017, my hair was falling out, I had severe pain in my neck, back and legs. My social life was suffering due to isolation, my work was slipping and it was all becoming noticeable. I became someone I didn’t recognize, on the inside or out.

Throughout the relationship he would say and do things and then gaslight me when I would ask what was going on.. He would make me think I was crazy for suspecting things I had heard or had seen. Come to find out, everything that I would bring up was actually true. The more I would see and hear things, the more I would bring it up. The anger and rage were ramping up. He would say and do things to manipulate me, so I wouldn’t bring certain issue up. A few examples of using power and control, cancel trips, tell me to move on a regular basis and would tell me I made him do it because I wouldn’t stop arguing. Basically, the things I would hear and suspect, which were true, I wasn’t allowed to mention or I would deal with some ramification It got worse as time went on.. The pathological lying, cheating, smearing my name and seeking validation and sympathy from the various females he was preying on, kept getting more and more frequent. He would word certain text where he there was plausible deniability but with everything else, it was so clear. After the relationship, others confirmed various things I was suspect to. That is part of the crazy making with narcissist abuse. One night I confronted him very calm about a lie he had just told me straight to my face. What happened next was a rage that I had never witnessed to that magnitude. He was becoming a person I had never seen before. The next morning, he came into the room I was sleeping in. I was laying across the bed with my headphones on, listening to podcast on my phone. He said he was about to leave town for the weekend and told me to take the trash out. Given the explosive outrage that occurred the night before, I just should shook my head yes. I didn’t look up at him or saying anything. That is when he tried to drag me off the bed by my legs and feet, screaming “bitch you answer when I am talking to you. I said take out the trash, your a bad guest (even though we were living in the same place). He kept trying to drag me off the bed, telling me to get the fuck out of his house, over and over. I froze. He had to leave and get on the plane. He knocked the shoe off my foot and told me I better be gone when he gets back (which was in two days). This happened in 2016. The gaslighting, manipulation, name calling and cheating started in 2014. By time the physical abuse occurred, I was dealing with the PTSD full blown. I secured an apartment within those two days. I borrowed the money I needed and spent that whole weekend searching for an apartment until I found one. I couldn’t move in until a couple months. During the waiting period he asked me several times to please not move out, he would reimburse me for the deposit. In my gut, I knew it was the right thing to do and said “no”.

I was not the only person impacted by this situation. My kids were also impacted. I tried to hide it from them for several months. They knew something wasn’t right with me when they came to visit but were not quite sure. I told them I was just dealing with depression, that I would be ok. That is until they were using my computer and found substantial evidence showing that I was in an abusive relationship. Imagine how your own children would feel if they found out someone abused their mother. I could barely care for myself much less deal with their pain. They wanted to confront him and ask him why, they wanted to make it public and I had to plead with them and tell them it wouldn’t be good for me, if they did that. They did sent him a text stating they knew what he did to their mom and few other words. I couldn’t stop them from doing that. They also were in shock to watch friends and people who they knew who were part of the political world, sit back and be silent. They watched people who were aware, never reach out, ask if it was true, there were even people willing to find dirt and smear me, all to protect him. That is cruel to do to anu human. Regardless of what a person has or has not done, doesn’t mean they deserve abuse. We see this happen in our criminal justice system everyday. Watching all this, was a wake up call for them, as far as politics and the real world. When things like this happen to a person and family, the last thing they are thinking about is a political party or who is using their pain for political points.

I have offered him restorative justice and for him to seek some sort of help for over a year and half. He would not take me up on it. I told him I have not lost sight of his humanity and he deserved to take that time for himself to heal. I told him time and time again, I didn’t want to share my story publicly, it was more important for healing and restoration to occur with this situation. I told him not only he deserved it, but his family and constituents deserve it as well. For me, that alone would have been justice as far as my situation. But no matter how many times I offered, he wouldnt take me up on it.

Part of living an authentic life and taking back your freedom, means breaking your silence, if that is what feels right for you. I made a vow to my kids and my grandkids that I would do what was in my power to leave a better world for them. They are who I owe my loyalty to first. I don’t want them to inherit the pain and violence patriarchy breeds to individuals and the collective. No amount of victim shaming, smearing, etc. can hurt as bad as living a life of fear, shame and secrecy.

So, now what say you, local and national media? Wait for it… “Democrats pounce!”

Ellison, who is divorced, is a six-term congressman and a leader within the Democratic Party. He became deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee last year after falling just short of the top job. He announced this summer he would leave Congress after six terms representing the Minneapolis area and run for the state’s open attorney general’s office.

With a huge fundraising advantage and star power over his opponents — including a visit from Vermont Sen. and 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — Ellison was considered the heavy favorite heading into Tuesday’s primary.

Ellison’s Democratic opponents pounced on the allegations. State Rep. Debra Hilstrom circulated the initial Facebook post Saturday night. “This post was brought to my attention because I was tagged in this post. Domestic Violence is never ok,” Hilstrom tweeted.

“The incidents described are troubling,” she added. “I call on Keith Ellison to answer these allegations.”

Tom Foley, a former county attorney, called on any video or messages to be turned over to law enforcement for an “immediate investigation.”

Funny, I thought it was only Republicans that could pounce. Seems that Democrats are plenty capable of “pouncing” when the media is trying to protect a narrative.

How long before journos tell us it's okay not to believe the woman just because Keith Ellison is a Dem?

— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) August 12, 2018

Now, it is worth noting that MPR says they have looked at many texts and have not seen the abuse being alleged.

MPR News has reviewed more than 100 text and Twitter messages between Keith Ellison and Karen Monahan after their breakup.

“There is no evidence in the messages reviewed by MPR News of the alleged physical abuse.” https://t.co/eJOrhNGZ0b by @bbierschbach.

— Mukhtar M. Ibrahim (@mukhtaryare) August 12, 2018

It is also of note that Monahan’s son claims a video exists, and if that video is produced, all bets are off. So right now, the ball is clearly in Monahan’s court. If the video does exist and is made public, Keith Ellison’s political career may be toast. I say “may be” because we are talking about Minnesota voters, and a media that would clearly prefer to not take down the deputy chairman of the DNC. And absentee ballots have already been cast in this primary. I fully expect that Ellison will win the primary, even if more evidence is produced. But his general election race just got a lot harder.