Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez wouldn't answer when asked if he believes the former girlfriend accusing Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.), the DNC deputy chair, of assault.
In the video first obtained by the Daily Caller, Perez is walking around at the DNC Summer Meeting in Chicago when an American Rising tracker asks if he believes Ellison's accuser and why Ellison hasn't been asked to step down while the matter is investigated.
"Mr. Perez, do you believe the women who have accused Keith Ellison, Mr. Perez?" the tracker asked. "Mr. Perez, do you believe the allegations against Keith Ellison? Mr. Perez?"
"Mr. Perez? Why haven’t you asked Keith Ellison to step down while the review is being conducted? Mr. Perez? These are pretty serious things that deserve serious answers," the tracker said.
As the tracker attempted to get an answer from Perez, staffers surround the chairman and attempted to block the tracker from being able to ask questions.
Karen Monahan, an activist with the Sierra Club and Ellison's ex-girlfriend, publicly claimed earlier this month that Ellison physically and emotionally abused her. She has also claimed she has video of an incident with Ellison, but has said she will not release it, telling Minnesota Public Radio it is "humiliating" and "traumatizing."
Ellison annoucened this year he would not run for re-election in order to run for Minnesota attorney general. Just days after the allegations from Monahan broke, he won the Democratic primary and will face former state Rep. Doug Wardlow (R.) in the general election this fall.