Keith Ellison on Thursday officially stepped down from his role as the Democratic National Committee’s second in command. Ellison was elected Minnesota attorney general in Tuesday’s midterm elections, despite ongoing controversy over allegations of abuse by his former girlfriend.
“Keith’s decision means Minnesotans will have a full-time champion fighting for affordable health care, a fair economy, and opportunity for all,” DNC chairman Tom Perez wrote in an email advising supporters he had accepted Ellison’s resignation. “His tireless service as deputy chair enabled us to make substantial progress in rebuilding our party and rebuilding trust with our grassroots.”
NEW… Tom Perez just emailed this note, saying Keith Ellison has stepped down from DNC to focus on his new job as atty gen of Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/Rximb5eeQt
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 8, 2018
Ellison on Tuesday defeated Republican opponent Doug Wardlow to become Minnesota’s incoming top lawyer and the first Muslim to win statewide office in U.S. history.
But Ellison’s campaign for attorney general was at risk of being derailed by allegations he abused his former longtime girlfriend Karen Monahan. Ellison has vehemently denied Monahan’s claims, and an investigation launched by Minnesota’s state Democratic Party, called the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, reported in October that it had not found any evidence to substantiate Monahan’s story.
Perez has been pressed on why Ellison was allowed to stay on at the DNC following Monahan’s accusations.
“I think Keith Ellison’s ex-girlfriend deserves to be heard, and deserves to be treated with dignity, and deserves to have a fair and full investigation, and that’s exactly what has been done,” Perez told CNN this month just before the 2018 midterm elections.
