CNN covered domestic abuse allegations against former White House staff secretary Rob Porter more than 24 times as much as they have covered abuse allegations against DNC deputy chair Keith Ellison.
On February 7, 2018 — the day after Porter’s ex-wives accused him of being physically abusive — CNN gave one hour and 40 minutes to the allegations. The horrific accusations were discussed in detail on multiple occasions, and several panels debated the process for Porter’s security clearance and whether or not the White House know about the allegations previously.
Comparatively, as of 9 a.m. on August 14 — the second day after the Ellison story broke — CNN had dedicated just four minutes and 21 seconds to the scandal.
Ellison, the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee who is running for attorney general in Minnesota, is being accused of domestic abuse by his ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan. (RELATED: Keith Ellison Facing Violent Domestic Abuse Allegations Less Than A Week Before Minnesota Primaries)
The discrepancy in coverage may be partially attributed to the relative credibility of each of the allegations. Ellison’s accuser claims to have a videotape of him abusing her but refuses to release it, whereas one of Porter’s accusers released photos of her bruised face after an alleged attack.
However, CNN’s decision to give little airtime to the Ellison allegations strikes an especially odd note because their outlet has published its own exclusive reporting on the topic. The CNN KFILE team exclusively reported on Monday that three friends of Monahan said she told them that Ellison hurt her shortly after the relationship ended. (RELATED: Ellison’s Ex-Girlfriend Allegedly Told Her Friends About Domestic Abuse Incident)
The Democratic National Committee has not responded to the allegations against Ellison.