Keith Ellison
30th Attorney General of Minnesota
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2019
Governor	Tim Walz
Preceded by	Lori Swanson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 5th district
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Martin Olav Sabo
Succeeded by	Ilhan Omar
Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee
In office February 25, 2017 – November 8, 2018
Chair	Tom Perez
Preceded by	Mike Honda (2005)
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 58B district
In office January 7, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Gregory Gray
Succeeded by	Augustine Dominguez
Personal details
Born	Keith Maurice Ellison (1963-08-04) August 4, 1963 (age 60) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Kim Ellison ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 2012)​
Children	4, including Jeremiah
Education	Wayne State University (BA) University of Minnesota (JD)
Website	Campaign website
Keith Ellison's voice Keith Ellison on his support for the Money Remittances Improvement Act of 2014 Recorded May 6, 2014

Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 30th attorney general of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Ellison was the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district from 2007 to 2019. He also served as the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2017 to 2018 and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2007. In Congress, Ellison built a reputation as a progressive leader.^[1]

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Ellison moved to Minnesota for law school. In 2002, he was elected to the Minnesota House and served two terms. After longtime U.S. Representative Martin Olav Sabo announced his retirement, Ellison announced his candidacy for Congress in the 2006 election. He won the race and was reelected five times. His district included Minneapolis, the state's largest city, and its inner-ring suburbs. In Congress, Ellison was a vice-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a chief deputy whip. He also sat on the House Committee on Financial Services. Ellison was the first Muslim elected to Congress^[2] and the first African American representative from Minnesota.^[3]

Ellison's profile was raised when he ran for chair of the Democratic National Committee in November 2016,^[4] gaining support from progressive groups and U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer. His candidacy prompted renewed scrutiny of his past statements and affiliation with the Nation of Islam, which drew criticism from some moderate Democrats. Ellison lost to former Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, who subsequently appointed Ellison deputy chair, a decision approved by unanimous voice vote of DNC members.^[5]

In the summer of 2018, Ellison announced that he would not seek reelection to Congress, and would run for Minnesota attorney general.^[6][7] He won the Democratic primary and defeated nominee Republican Doug Wardlow in the general election, becoming the first African American elected to partisan statewide office in Minnesota, as well as the first Muslim in the U.S. to win statewide office. He was narrowly reelected in 2022 with 50.4% of the vote.

Early life, education, and career

Keith Ellison, the third of five sons, was raised Catholic^[8] in Detroit, Michigan, by his parents, Leonard Ellison, a psychiatrist and Clida (Martinez) Ellison, a social worker.^[9][10][11] Ellison and three of his brothers became lawyers; his other brother became a doctor. One of Ellison's brothers is also the pastor of "Church of the New Covenant Baptist" in Detroit.^[10] Ellison's youth was influenced by the involvement of his family in the civil rights movement, including his grandfather's work as a member of the NAACP in Louisiana.^[9]

Ellison graduated in 1981 from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, where he was active in sports and a senator in the student government.^[10][12]

At the age of 19, while attending Wayne State University in Detroit, Ellison converted from Catholicism to Islam, later giving the following explanation: "I can't claim that I was the most observant Catholic at the time . I had begun to really look around and ask myself about the social circumstances of the country, issues of justice, issues of change. When I looked at my spiritual life, and I looked at what might inform social change, justice in society ... I found Islam."^[13][14]

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in economics in 1986,^[15] Ellison married his high school sweetheart^[8] and moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota Law School. Ellison graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1990.^[16][17]

After graduating from law school, Ellison worked for three years at the firm of Lindquist & Vennum, where he was a litigator specializing in civil rights, employment, and criminal defense law.^[16][18] Ellison then became executive director of the nonprofit Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis, which specializes in the defense of indigent clients.^[18] Upon leaving the Legal Rights Center, Ellison entered private practice with the law firm Hassan & Reed Ltd, specializing in trial practice.^[19] Ellison has also been regularly involved in community service. He served as the unpaid host of a public affairs talk program at KMOJ radio,^[18] and has also often volunteered as a track coach for several organizations, working with youth between the ages of five and 18. He said, "It's a great community-building device because it's for all ages and all genders. Everyone can find a way to fit in."^[18]

Minnesota House of Representatives

In November 2002 Ellison was elected to his first public office, as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives serving House district 58B. At the time he took his seat, his party was the smallest House minority in Minnesota history.^[20] During this session Ellison was appointed to the Governmental Operations & Veterans Affairs Policy Committee, the Judiciary Policy & Finance Committee and the Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Committee. He also spearheaded an ethics complaint against Rep. Arlon Lindner for a speech Lindner made that Ellison alleged amounted to a denial that homosexuals were persecuted during the Holocaust.^[9]

Ellison was reelected to his seat in 2004 with 84% of the vote. During the 84th session, he served on the Civil Law & Elections Committee and the Public Safety Policy & Finance Committee. Upon his election to Congress, Ellison's seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives was filled by Augustine Dominguez, a Latino community activist and fellow member of the DFL.^[21]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Ellison's House seat was previously held by Martin Olav Sabo, whose announcement of his intention to retire precipitated Ellison's candidacy. At the DFL Convention on May 6, 2006, Ellison won the party endorsement over nine other candidates, leading 2-to-1 on the first ballot, and winning endorsement on the fourth ballot. In the primary, Ellison faced former state senator Ember Reichgott Junge, Minneapolis city council member Paul Ostrow, and Sabo's chief of staff Mike Erlandson, whom Sabo had endorsed. Ellison won the primary on September 12, 2006, with 41% of the vote.^[22] One issue Ellison's campaign opponents raised was the repeated suspension of his driver's license for failure to pay tickets and fines.^[23] Ellison had also failed to pay all or part of his income taxes in five separate years between 1992 and 2000, forcing the state and Internal Revenue Service to put liens on his home. He later paid in excess of $18,000.^[9][24] In the November 2006 election, Ellison faced Republican Alan Fine, the Green Party's Jay Pond, and Tammy Lee of the Independence Party. Ellison won the seat with 56% of the vote.^[25][26]

Campaign finance disclosures

In early 2006, the Minnesota State Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board^[27] reprimanded Ellison for events alleged in 2002–04, namely

• unreported campaign contributions
• discrepancies in cash balances, and
• misclassified disbursements, during his campaigns for the Minnesota House of Representatives.

In 2005 the board opened an investigation, and Ellison was subpoenaed and fined.^[28][29] Ellison was repeatedly fined for late filings,^[30] was sued twice by the Attorney General of Minnesota, and was warned about absent or incomplete disclosures.^{[23][31][32][33]}

Tenure

Ellison was elected to the House of Representatives on November 7, 2006, and sworn in on January 4, 2007. He received national attention for his decision to use an English translation of the Qur'an, translated by British scholar George Sale in 1734, that once belonged to President Thomas Jefferson for his reenacted swearing-in ceremony, which generated both praise and criticism from political pundits.^[34]

At the time of his swearing in Ellison said he intended to focus on wages, housing, "relief and justice for the middle class", and ending the U.S. involvement in the Iraq War.^[35] Ellison was also a vocal critic of the George W. Bush administration, and sought a position on the House Judiciary Committee for oversight.^[36] In his first week as a member of Congress Ellison voted with the new Democratic majority as part of the 100-Hour Plan to raise the minimum wage, for federal funding of stem cell research, and to allow Medicare to negotiate pharmaceutical prices.^[37]

On April 3, 2014, Ellison introduced the Money Remittances Improvement Act of 2014 (H.R. 4386; 113th Congress) into the United States House.^[38] The bill would make it easier for nonbank financial institutions such as money service businesses to provide remittance payments internationally.^[39] Ellison said that "passage of the Money Remittances Improvement Act is cause for celebration for all diaspora communities, including the Somali and Hmong communities I am proud to represent in Minnesota."^[40]

Credit reform

On May 3, 2007, Ellison introduced a bill to outlaw universal default, the practice whereby credit card companies raise interest rates on customers who are behind on payments to other creditors. The bill was supported by House Financial Services Committee chairman Barney Frank. Ellison, who described the bill as "the beginning of a whole credit reform effort we're going to be pursuing," also announced his interest in limiting high interest rates on credit cards and easing the process for those who have a legitimate need to file bankruptcy.^[41] This provision ultimately became law in 2009 as part of the "Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights" portion of the Credit CARD Act of 2009.^[42][43]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Financial Services (since January 12, 2007)
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
    • Terms on Committee (and "Thomas" links at the Library of Congress): 113th Congress (H.Res. 7 – Dem's), 112th (H.Res. 39 – Dem's), 111th (H.Res. 24) and 110th (H.Res. 56).
• Committee on Foreign Affairs^[44][45]
  • 111th Congress, 2009–2010 (H.Res. 74)
• Judiciary Committee^[46]
  • 110th Congress, 2007–2008 (H.Res. 75)

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Progressive Caucus^[47] (Vice-chair)^[48]
• Congressional Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Caucus (Vice-chair)^[49]
• Congressional Black Caucus^[50]
• Congressional Arts Caucus^[51]
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus^[52]

Candidacy for Chair of Democratic National Committee

In 2017, after acting chair Donna Brazile resigned, Ellison ran for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee, along with Howard Dean, Martin O'Malley, Raymond Buckley, and Jaime R. Harrison, chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party.^[53] Ellison, who at the time served as chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, emerged as a top contender^[54] and was viewed as a progressive alternative to the more moderate wings of the party.^[55] The race was viewed by some commentators and analysts as a proxy battle between the Clinton and Sanders factions of the party.^[56]

Support

In autumn 2016, Ellison was endorsed by both Senator Bernie Sanders and incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.^[57] In November 2016, outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid endorsed Ellison for DNC chair.^[58] In early December Ellison's endorsements included the AFL–CIO and several elected officials in Congress, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Martin Heinrich, and Representatives John Lewis, Luis Gutiérrez and Tulsi Gabbard, among others.^[59]

Opposition

Obama loyalists were uneasy with Ellison, and began looking for a candidate to oppose him, holding meetings with Obama administration labor secretary Thomas Perez.^[60] In November 2016, the Investigative Project on Terrorism published a 2010 speech in which Ellison asked why the United States foreign policy in the Middle East "is governed by what is good or bad through a country of 7 million people. A region of 350 million all turns on a country of 7 million. Does that make sense? Is that logic?" His comments were interpreted as a reference to Israel. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) effectively announced its opposition to Ellison's candidacy, issuing a press release saying that his statement "raises serious concerns about whether Ellison faithfully could represent the Democratic Party's traditional support for a strong and secure Israel."^[57][61] CNN also reported on his past support for anti-Semitic and radical organizations and individuals, particularly the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan, but said they had found no anti-Semitic writings or public statements by Ellison, and cited his public rejection of the group "due to its propagation of bigoted and anti-Semitic ideas and statements".^[57][62] The New York Times reported that one of the Democratic Party's biggest donors, Haim Saban, said in his 2016 foreign policy forum that Ellison is "clearly an anti-Semitic and anti-Israel person."^[63] Reporters from The Washington Post, Slate and The Huffington Post have described this as part of a smear campaign against Ellison, and note that Ellison's rivals agreed that Saban should apologize for the comments.^[64][65][66] Schumer replied to critics, saying that Ellison has supported pro-Israeli policies within the Democratic Party, telling The Atlantic that "while I disagree with some of past positions, I saw him orchestrate one of the most pro-Israel platforms in decades by successfully persuading other skeptical committee members to adopt such a strong platform."^[67]

Opposition also arose from Democrats concerned that Ellison, a sitting congressman, would not be able to devote himself to the position full-time. In response, Ellison pledged that he would resign from Congress if he won the election.^[68] Others opposed him on ideological grounds, characterized by National Public Radio (NPR) as representing the party's division in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary between centrist supporters of Hillary Clinton and the party's left wing, which backed Bernie Sanders. But FiveThirtyEight argued that Perez and Ellison have "essentially identical" ideologies.^[57][60][69]

Results and creation of deputy chair position

By February 2017, Perez was perceived as the front-runner, according to The New York Times.^[70] A member of The Young Turks spotted Ellison and Perez dining together a week before the election was held. Upon being elected chair, Perez quickly motioned for Ellison to be elected "deputy chair", saying, "it is a motion that I have discussed with a good friend, and his name is Keith Ellison". The two newly elected chairs worked together when Perez was labor secretary, and he has regarded Ellison as one of his "best allies".^[71][72][73] The position of "deputy chair" does not exist in the DNC's bylaws.^[74] On November 8, 2018, Ellison resigned as deputy chair to focus on his upcoming tenure as Attorney General of Minnesota.^[75]

Minnesota Attorney General

Election

On June 5, 2018, Ellison announced that he would not seek reelection to a seventh term in Congress in 2018, but would instead run for Minnesota Attorney General.^[6][7] On August 14, Ellison won the Democratic primary with 49.8% of the vote, a little more than 30% over his nearest rival.^[76] In the general election Ellison faced Republican Doug Wardlow;^[77][78] Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party candidate Noah Johnson endorsed Ellison, but remained on the general election ballot.^[79] On November 6, 2018, Ellison won the election for Attorney General by more than 100,000 votes.^[80] This made him the first Muslim person to win election to a statewide office in the United States,^[81] and the first African American elected to statewide office in Minnesota.

Allegations of domestic abuse

During the campaign, misconduct allegations surfaced that influenced the election. Politico wrote that Ellison's election would depend on "what voters make of the misconduct allegations he's facing".^[82] In 2006, environmental activist Amy Alexander alleged she had been in a romantic relationship with Ellison while he was married and said he had pushed, shoved, and verbally abused her. Ellison denied the accusation and denied they had a romantic relationship. He alleged that Alexander had harassed him and threatened to "destroy" him. A judge granted Ellison's request for a restraining order against Alexander and refused a similar request by Alexander against Ellison.^[83][84]

In August 2018, Ellison's ex-girlfriend Karen Monahan and her son accused him of attempting to drag her off a bed while shouting obscenities. He denied her allegations^[85] and said in an interview he did not know how to react because he did not wish to demonize her.^[86] A Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party investigation conducted by attorney Susan Ellingstad concluded that Monahan's accusation was unsubstantiated, as she rejected requests to provide the video she said proved her allegations.^[87][88] The report states that Monahan would not allow Ellingstad to view the footage privately.^[89]

Unsealed divorce records from Hennepin County Family Court revealed that Ellison had claimed that Kim Ellison had physically abused him.^[90]

Tenure

George Floyd case

On May 31, 2020, Ellison accepted Minnesota governor Tim Walz's request that he take over as special prosecutor in the Derek Chauvin case.^[91] Three days later, Ellison's office charged Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on Floyd's neck, with second-degree murder, a more serious charge than Hennepin County attorney Mike Freeman's original charges of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.^[92][93] Ellison also charged the other three officers at the scene, whom Freeman's office had not originally charged, with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter.^[92][93] Freeman and trial lawyers Steve Schleicher, Jerry Blackwell and Matthew Frank were among those who served on Ellison's prosecution team.^[94] Chauvin was convicted on all three counts on April 20, 2021.^[95][96] Ellison's management of the prosecution won him praise from progressives, and led to speculation that he would seek a higher office.^[97][98]

Political positions

Economy

Ellison supports the Reward Work Act of 2018 to reform US labor law and corporate law by guaranteeing the right of employees in listed companies to elect one-third of the board of directors.

Abortion

In 2009 and 2011 Ellison had a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America indicating a pro-choice voting record.^[99][100]

LGBT rights

In a November 12, 2010, interview with the BBC's program Outlook, Ellison was asked to describe his constituents. He answered, "The district I represent is the kind of district where you can have a Member of Congress stand up for religious tolerance and against religious bigotry, against anyone, but also stand up for the rights of gays, too."^[101] In Congress he served as vice-chair of the Congressional Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Caucus.

Gun rightsedit

During a March 2014 appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, Ellison said he was "for gun control, but I don't think you have got to eliminate ownership of all guns in order to get some common-sense gun rules." Host Bill Maher asked him, "Then why doesn't your party come out against the Second Amendment?" Guest Sheila Bair then interjected, "Fifty-one votes, that's all it takes." Ellison responded, "I sure wish they would. I sure wish they would." Ellison's campaign has stated he was responding to Bair, not to Maher. Bair has said that she was referring to President Barack Obama's nomination of Vivek Murthy for U.S. Surgeon General. Murthy supports stronger gun regulations.^[102]

Iraq Waredit

After President George W. Bush vetoed HR 1591 that provided military funding for the Iraq War because it contained timetables for withdrawal, Ellison and fellow Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top House Democrats in voting "no" to HR 2206 that provided the funding without any timetables. The bill passed the House on a 280 to 142 margin.^[103]

Ellison joined fellow Minnesota freshman Democrat Tim Walz in opposing Bush's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq.^[104]

On January 10, 2007, Bush announced his plans for the Iraq War troop surge of 2007. The gist of this announcement had been known around the Capitol for over a week, and when the Associated Press asked Ellison for his reaction to the idea on January 8, 2007, he said that it was "way too late, way too little. ... So rather than do something small and ineffective, why not get about the business of what we're going to have to do eventually, which is to begin to end the occupation?" Ellison called for an immediate withdrawal in Iraq: "We could describe it as a redeployment or withdrawal, but I think we have run the course in terms of our ability to resolve this conflict militarily. I think we need to have a political and economic and diplomatic engagement, and we need to encourage the forces that are in Iraq to begin to resolve the violence in Iraq." When asked if he would support Bush's call for an additional $100 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ellison said, "I want to see the request first, I want to actually look at it, but I'm not inclined to continue to support a war or an occupation that he has no plans to get us out of, and which is so costly in terms of dollars and lives of American soldiers but also Iraqis." When asked for a reaction to the comments, the White House referred to a previous statement by press secretary Tony Snow: "Democrats will have to decide where they stand on two issues: 'No. 1, do you want Iraq to succeed, and, if so, what does that mean? And, No. 2, do you believe in supporting the troops as you say, and how do you express that support?'"^[105]

Freedom of speechedit

In 2019, the city of Bloomington passed an ordinance that forbade filming students of Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in a public park, which led to a successful lawsuit against the city in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to reinstate the First Amendment rights of the parties involved.^[106] Ellison had asked the court to drop the case.^[107]

Iranedit

Ellison has supported normalizing Iran-United States relations and reopening an interest section or embassy in Tehran; he was one of only five Democrats in Congress who voted against the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. In a speech to the National Iranian American Council, he said it does not make sense to cut off contact with the Iranian government, because "when we put up an embassy or an interest section in another country, it's not a gift to them ... You're not doing something for the other country by having someone to look after our interests there, and by withdrawing it, it's not a punishment."^[108]

Bush administrationedit

On June 28, 2007, Ellison cosponsored Representative Dennis Kucinich's bill to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney for "high crimes and misdemeanors." Ellison's spokesperson, Rick Jauert, said the effort was "largely to send a message" and that Ellison "has no illusions that this is going anywhere and that's fine. We've got more important things to do that affect people's daily lives. He basically signed on out of principle, as an expression of the importance of the rule of law—that nobody is above the law, not even the vice president."^[109]

On July 8, 2007, Ellison gave a speech in Edina, Minnesota, denouncing Bush's commutation of Lewis Libby's sentence: "If Libby gets pardoned, then he should not have the cover of the Fifth Amendment. He's going to have to come clean and tell the truth. Now, he could get Gonzales-itis referring to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, you know, with 71 lapses of memory within a two-hour period." He also criticized Bush's White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, saying, "This is basically the Department of Religious Outreach. ... It's essentially a public-relations outreach arm for the Bush administration to reach out to the far right of the evangelical Christian movement. That's really all it is."^[110]

On July 25, 2007, Ellison voted in the House Judiciary Committee to issue citations of contempt of congress to White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers for "failure to comply with subpoenas on the firings of several federal prosecutors".^[111]

Trump administrationedit

In 2017, Ellison said he was open to demands to start an impeachment process against President Donald Trump: "Donald Trump has already done a number of things which legitimately raise the question of impeachment."^[112] By the December 2019 Impeachment of Donald Trump, Ellison was no longer serving in the House of Representatives.

Human rightsedit

Ellison issued a statement on March 21, 2008, that criticized the Chinese government for its Tibet policy and for its relationship with Sudan's leaders "as they commit genocide on the citizens of Darfur."^[113]

Ellison was arrested along with seven other people including U.S. Representatives James McGovern, John Lewis, Donna Edwards, and Lynn Woolsey for civil disobedience in April 2009 when they spoke at the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, D.C., to protest that the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, had asked international aid groups bringing food, health care and water, to leave Darfur.^[114]

Basic incomeedit

On August 17, 2017, Ellison said he supported guaranteed basic income.^[115]

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