Minnesota paper sues to unseal Keith Ellison’s divorce records
A leading Minnesota newspaper is joining a legal effort to unseal the divorce records of Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who is running for state attorney general.
The Minnesota Star Tribune, the most-read newspaper in the state, said in an article it had filed a motion to unseal the records after a similar action by Alpha News, which it described as a right-leaning online news and opinion site
{mosads}Ellison and his ex-wife, Kim Ellison, divorced six years ago, with official divorce records being sealed to prevent the public from accessing their contents.
The motion by the Star Tribune comes weeks after Ellison was accused of domestic abuse in 2016 by his ex-girlfriend, Kim Monahan. Ellison denies any wrongdoing.
In its article, the Star Tribune argued that “given the public interest around that situation and Kim Ellison’s public support of her ex-husband, the divorce records are a matter of concern to voters.”
“Divorce records are typically public, but judges will often agree to seal them if both parties to the case agree and no one else objects,” the Star Tribune also wrote in explaining its decision to pursue legal action to unseal the divorce records.
The Ellison campaign released a statement Tuesday from Kim Ellison and Keith Ellison.
“Our divorce simply isn’t the public’s business, and therefore, when we separated, we jointly asked the court to seal the file. Now, one month before a closely contested election for Minnesota Attorney General, a conservative group wants to probe our divorce file in search of something to use against Keith in this race. I am disappointed that the Star Tribune would choose to file this motion,” the statement reads.
Kim Ellison added her ex-husband “never abused me in any way before, during, or after our marriage.”
A Hennepin County, Minn., district judge will determine soon whether the divorce documents should be made public.
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