DNC finally responds to explosive accusations against Deputy Chair Keith Ellison

The Democratic National Committee finally responded to the explosive allegations of domestic violence against their deputy chairman, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) from his former girlfriend.

'Allegations of domestic abuse are disturbing'

In the short statement to NPR, the DNC indicated that it would investigate the claims against Ellison, but would not take action against him yet.

"These allegations recently came to light and we are reviewing them," the DNC said in the statement. "All allegations of domestic abuse are disturbing and should be taken seriously."

The allegations arose when the son of Ellison's former girlfriend, environmental activist Karen Monahan, posted on Facebook that he had discovered texts and videos showing the congressman abusing his mother.

“In the middle of 2017," he claimed, "I was using my moms computer trying to download something and I clicked on a file, I found over 100 text and twitters messages and video almost 2 min long that showed Keith Ellison dragging my mama off the bed by her feet, screaming and calling her a ‘f***ing bitch’ and telling her to get the f*** out of his house."

'What my son said is true'

Karen Monahan confirmed what her son said in a tweet from her social media account.

"What my son said is true," she tweeted. "Every statement he made was true."

Monahan had been obliquely referring to the emotional and physical abuse by Ellison on her social media account, but had not made the allegations directly against him publicly.

Some questioned the legitimacy of the allegations given that they were made just days before the election deciding whether Ellison would become Minnesota's next attorney general.

Ellison responded that he stopped dating Monahan in 2016, and denied all of her allegations, including the contention that a video existed showing the abuse.

“This video does not exist because I never behaved in this way, and any characterization otherwise is false,” Ellison said.

Ellison's ex-wife, Kim Ellison, also came to his defense in an email to reporters.

"We may be divorced, but we are still a family," she wrote. "I want members of our community to know that the behavior described does not match the character of the Keith I know."

Here's a local video on the effect of the allegations on Minnesota's primary election: