Rep. Keith Ellison has filed for legal separation from his wife, Kim Dore Ellison.
Ellison, D-Minn., could not be reached for comment Friday on the legal papers filed April 29 in Hennepin County. A staff worker who answered the phone Friday at Ellison's Washington, D.C., offices said: "He's actually on a plane right now. I can see what I can do."
According to the MPLS Mirror, the Ellisons have been married for more than 20 years.
The congressman's attorney, Carla Kjellberg, when asked how long the couple had been married, said: "I don't comment on private family business with my clients." Kjellberg did, however, correct me on the papers filed.
"I am not representing Keith Ellison in a divorce," Kjellberg said. When I corrected myself by describing the document as a legal separation, Kjellberg said, "That's what's filed."
There is no mention of a marriage among the "Biographical Highlights" on the Fifth District congressman's website. A Star Tribune profile of Ellison, who in 2007 became the first Muslim in Congress, stated:
"When he's home, Ellison will attend the Masjid An-Nur mosque on the North Side in Minneapolis. He and his wife, Kim, are raising their four children in the faith, but Kim is not a Muslim. She said she is more of a seeker, interested in many faiths, including Native American spirituality."
Kim Ellison is known to suffer from multiple sclerosis.
Her attorney, Pamela L. Green, could not be reached for comment.
C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.
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