Ellison, trying to clarify the name, calls for an investigation into allegations of abuse

Representative Keith Ellison, a Progressive Democrat from Minnesota and Vice-President of the Democratic Party, asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate recent allegations of abuse against him by a old girlfriend.

Ellison, who is also running for the position of Attorney General of Minnesota, made the announcement Wednesday in a statement shared with the media. In his statement, Mr. Ellison again denied the allegations, but nevertheless called for an investigation to try to release his name, he said.

"I'm doing it now because I'm innocent and eager to see this whole issue resolved," Ellison said. "These allegations have persisted in the public sphere and remain without foundation. I welcome an inquiry from the House to allow us to move forward.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she supports Mr. Ellison's call for an investigation into home ethics.

"It is essential that due process be respected and that everyone involved has the opportunity to be heard," Pelosi said in a statement on Wednesday.

Ellison's request comes about a month after his former girlfriend, Karen Monahan, an environmental political organizer, publicly accused him of emotional abuse and said he had tried to drag her from bed to her by shouting blasphemy. She first stated that she had a video of the incident on a cell phone, but refused to share it, claiming that the victims should not be forced to prove their claims..

"Four people, including my supervisor at the time, said that I had visited them after sharing the exact story that I shared publicly, that I shared several texts between Keith and me, where Monahan recently tweeted. "As I said before, I knew I would not be believed."

[A test for where to draw the line between a messy relationship and an emotionally abusive one]

Republicans and some state democrats have seized the charges against Ellison, including attempting to win the Minnesota state attorney general's office in November. Mr. Ellison indicated that he was collaborating in an independent investigation into this matter, in addition to calling the House Ethics Committee to investigate these allegations.

However, current issues may not deter Mr. Ellison from being appointed Attorney General. In August, he won the Democratic Primary of about 30 points, just days after the publication of the allegations. Recent polls show that Ellison also holds a slim lead against his Republican opponent in November.