>>>
>>> MINNESOTA POLITICS HAS NOT BEEN THE PRIMARY ELECTION.
IT HAS BEEN THE STORY OF
CONGRESSMAN KEITH ELLISON
RUNNING FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL
FOR MINNESOTA STANDING ACCUSED
OF DOMESTIC ABUSE.
>> THE ACCUSER IS HIS EX-
GIRLFRIEND.
GIRLFRIEND. HER SON POST TODAY LAST
WEEKEND.
WEEKEND.
WEEKEND. SHE BACK TODAY UP ON HER OWN
TWITTER ACCOUNT OF THE LAST
NIGHT, SHE WENT ON NATIONAL
NEWS TO TELL HER STORY TO THE
WORLD.
WORLD.
WORLD. >>
WORLD. >> I LOOKED STRAIGHT AT HIM.
I SAID, I NEVER RUINED YOUR
CAREER.
CAREER.
CAREER. I
CAREER. I DID NOT CHOOSE TO DO THE
THINGS YOU DID.
I DID NOT CHOOSE FOR YOU TO
DRAG ME OFF OF THE BED, CALL ME
A. [BEEP]
A. [BEEP]
A. [BEEP] , TELL ME YOU HATE ME.
I DID NOT CHOOSE THAT.
>> WHY SPEAK OUT NOW?
>> I FOLLOWED MY GUT.
THE GUT THAT I KEPT TRYING TO
PUSH DOWN.
PUSH DOWN. FOR 1 1/2 YEARS.
>> SO, THIS MORNING ELLISON
RESPONDED TO THE ACCUSATIONS HE
SAID NO LESS THAN SIX TIMES HE
NEVER ABUSED HER.
HE HAS NOT SPOKEN ABOUT THESE
ACCUSATIONS BEFORE TODAY WITH
US WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL-
TIME TO HEAR HIS ANSWERS IN
THEIR ENTIRETY.
THEIR ENTIRETY. TO A HOST OF QUESTIONS.
>> I AM SURE YOU ALL HAVE A FEW
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. AND I WILL RECOGNIZE YOU IN
ORDER.
ORDER.
ORDER. ALL I CAN SAY IS I DID NOT DO
THE THINGS SHE IS ACCUSING ME
OF.
OF.
OF. THAT
OF. THAT IS WHAT I SAID FROM THE
BEGINNING, THAT IS WHAT I SAY
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >> SHE CAN NOT HAVE VIDEO OF ME
ABUSING HER, THAT IS NOT
POSSIBLE.
POSSIBLE.
POSSIBLE. >> THAT IS A QUESTION I HAVE
BEEN ASKED.
BEEN ASKED. I THOUGHT ABOUT IT A MILLION
TIMES AND I HAVE COME UP WITH
NOTHING.
NOTHING.
.
. [
. [ NO
. [ NO AUDIO ] >> I AM NOT OPPOSED TO IT.
I AM EASY TO FIND.
NOT OPPOSED TO A CONVERSATION.
I AM NOT IN A POSITION TO REACH
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. AT
OUT. AT THIS POINT, IF I WERE TO DO
THAT IT COULD BE
MISINTERPRETED.
MISINTERPRETED. SO I AM JUST GOING TO NOT DO
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. IF
THAT. IF SHE REACHES OUT TO ME.
I WILL -- I AM NOT OPPOSED TO A
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. I NEVER HAVE BEEN.
[ NO AUDIO ]
-- I UNDERSTAND THAT THESE
ALLEGATIONS HAVE INTRODUCED
SOMETHING THAT IS THAT PEOPLE
HAVE TO CONTEND WITH.
I BELIEVE THAT EVERY PERSON WHO
IS A VICTIM SHOULD BE LISTENED
TO.
TO.
TO. I
TO. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT EVERYBODY
WHO SAYS SOMETHING SHOULD BE
BELIEVED JUST BECAUSE THEY SAID
IT BUT I BELIEVE SHOULD BE
LISTENED TO.
LISTENED TO. AT THE SAME TIME, LOOK THIS
HAPPENS WITHIN A CONTEXT OF A
SOCIETY WHERE MILLIONS OF WOMEN
HAVE BEEN MISTREATED, ABUSED,
HURT.
HURT.
HURT. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN BELIEVED.
THAT IS REAL.
I AM NOT GOING TO LIMB TO THEIR
PAIN.
PAIN.
PAIN. [
PAIN. [ NO AUDIO ]
>> -- LOOK I HAVE BEEN TALKING
TO PEOPLE, LISTENING AS MUCH AS
I CAN.
I CAN.
I CAN. LISTENING BECAUSE, LOOK, I HAVE
DENIED THESE ALLEGATIONS
BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT TRUE.
AND YET, SOME PEOPLE I TALKED
TO SAY YEAH, YOU MIGHT BE -- WE
BELIEVE YOU BUT THERE IS A
BIGGER ISSUE HERE AND THIS IS A
SOCIAL -- DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS
A SOCIAL ISSUE THAT CAN'T BE
IGNORED.
IGNORED.
IGNORED. YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT
REALITY.
REALITY.
REALITY. I UNDERSTAND THAT.
[ NO AUDIO ]
-- NO.
-- NO.
-- NO. >>
-- NO. >> WHY NOT?
>> BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO IT.
>>> THE ONE THING WE DON'T KNOW
IN THIS STORY IS WHERE IS THE
TAPE?
TAPE?
TAPE? KAREN'S SON SAYS THERE IS A
TAPE OF THIS ALLEGED ABUSE BUT
SHE SAID TO OTHER REPORTERS SHE
WILL NOT RELEASE IT.
WITHOUT THIS EVIDENCE, AT THIS
POINT, IT IS HE SAID, SHE SAID
AND UP TO YOU ON WHO TO
BELIEVE.
BELIEVE.
BELIEVE. >> THAT REALLY DOES BEG THE
QUESTION, WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
THE DFL CAME OUT YESTERDAY,
LEADERS OF THE DFL.
THEY HAVE TO ENDORSE A
CANDIDATE TOMORROW IN ALL
LIKELIHOOD THEY'D THEY STAND
BEHIND ELLISON BUT THEY SAID HE
HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER.
HE HAS BEEN.
DO PEOPLE BELIEVE HIM?
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
NOT MUCH -- WE ASKED HIM
QUESTIONS EASILY FOR 25 MINUTES
AND HE ANSWERED EVERY SINGLE
ONE OF THEM.
THAT CONVENTION TOMORROW
TOMORROW, HE SAID HE WILL BE
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. NO
THERE. NO ONE HAS ASKED HIM TO STEP
DOWN FROM HIS PARTY.
WE FIND OUT IF