This is going to make a lot of the “whatabout” right-wing nutters unhappy considering how it’s been their constant refrain since their boy Kavanaugh was shown to be a sexual predator.
I am uncomfortable weighing in too heavily here. It is ground where one must tread lightly, I think. But if you announce that you have video and a third-party investigator presumably operating in good faith asks if you if they can see the video, you’d probably better produce the video.
This would be a whole different ball of wax if she hadn’t declared she had proof and then effectively recanted. I don’t expect video to exist of my every moment and movement. But I don’t announce that video exists, either.
The nutters will just ignore the report.
A draft report obtained by the AP notes Monahan’s shifting rationale for refusing to produce the video footage, including that it was lost, was on a USB drive in storage and that it would be too embarrassing and traumatic to release it.
Ellingstad also wrote in her report that Monahan would not allow her to view the footage privately.
We’ll see what happens with the other investigation but I think it’s notable she wouldn’t show the footage privately.
I don’t doubt every effort will be made to attack Democrats with false claims of abuse now but it’s really important that we don’t assume any allegations are false, insist on real investigations and wait for their completion to draw conclusions.
The right wing wants to push Democrats into saying “witch hunt!” & we need to not take that bait.
I think a lot of people here would agree that the difference between us and the wingnuts is that we’ve been willing to accept that an assault may have been perpetrated by an elected official that we’ve admired greatly, and we’re willing to kick that official to the curb if the allegation had been convincing. However, I’ll be extremely happy if it turns out to be BS and Ellison can continue to serve. Sadly, the opposition who operate almost entirely in bad faith will use it for more whataboutism, regardless of the outcome.
Water is wet.
The sun rises in the east.
The nutters will just ignore the report.
The timing of this accusation is suspect. But repugs know Democrats are apt to withdraw from a race or a position of power when only accused of abuse or misbehavior. So it was worth trying (if repugs were involved, which wouldn’t surprise me).
Repugs, on the other hand, won’t budge from a position even when there is credible evidence of serious wrongdoing. They are the party of thugs and traitors.
Apparently there is some sort of photo of a person the meme writers claim is the victim. The photo shows a woman with sever bruising to her face. Does anybody know anything about that photo?
I think the DFL immediately hiring an attorney to investigate her allegations shows that her claims were being taken seriously.
In fairness, the DFL was basically ordered to do so by the DNC, presumably on pain of the DNC doing it itself. You can see why the DNC would not to be doing that itself considering Ellison’s position there. But the DFL hadn’t undertaken to do it until the DNC “asked” it to. At least, that’s my understanding.
Regardless of who initiated it, it was done. In fact, Ellison has now asked the U.S. House Ethics Committee to investigate it, so again, not exactly trying to cover it up:
“I have proof but I can’t show it to you” is never a confidence-builder.
“…I’ll show you this big, powerful evidence very, very soon, perhaps in two weeks”
The Mpls. StarTribune has gone to court to unseal Ellison’s divorce court file from long ago. Different relationship but they’ll get several headlines no matter what. Already taking credit, with headline, for filing the request! Know who else has sealed divorce files that they could sue for?
How bizarre. The Dems actually launched a thorough investigation…
I agree. I was talking more about us watching how we phrase things. And, to be clear, not directed at you or anyone I’m seeing here today.
She seems to be acting very cagey about this video. It may be that it shows both of them doing abusive things. I don’t know. But if she’s willing to allege that the event happened, then she should be able to back it up with video.
It depends on your audience: It worked on Trump’s base…