by Michelle Griffith, Minnesota Reformer
Minnesota Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Kettle River, allegedly mused that he would personal slaves if it have been allowed right this moment and known as his then-stepson “Kunta Kinte,” after the enslaved African character in Roots, in response to a 2008 affidavit from the stepson.
Dotseth additionally allegedly kicked and punched the household’s 14-year-old canine, in response to an affidavit from his then-wife.
The brand new particulars got here to gentle after the Star Tribune reported on components of the affidavits about serial home violence that led to his 2008 arrest and a yearlong order prohibiting Dotseth from contacting his then-wife, Penny Dotseth, who now goes by Penny Kowal. He was additionally barred from utilizing or possessing firearms and solely granted supervised visits with their daughter.
She filed for divorce in 2007, and in a blistering sworn affidavit described years of bodily abuse. Kowal’s son additionally filed an affidavit detailing abuse.
Following the Star Tribune story, Democratic leaders known as on Dotseth to droop his reelection marketing campaign and requested that Home Republicans expel him from their caucus.
Kowal and her son didn’t instantly reply to the Reformer’s messages in search of remark. Dotseth didn’t reply to a request for remark concerning the extra allegations within the affidavits.
Kowal’s 21-page affidavit, obtained by the Reformer, detailed years of home abuse together with in opposition to their canine.
“This Christmas, our dog Misty, who is 14 years old, grabbed a small candy bar from one of Jeff’s bags he had sitting on the floor,” Kowal mentioned in her 2008 affidavit. “Misty came into the kitchen, I looked at her and said, ‘What do you have in your mouth?’ Jeff was there and had seen she had a candy bar and punched her and was yelling at her to let go. He hit her again, (their daughter saw) this and was saying ‘Dad stop, she’s old.’ If the dogs are in his way, he’ll kick them to get out of his way.”
Kowal’s son in his sworn affidavit mentioned that he and Dotseth would typically get into fights about his views on slavery. Kowal’s son just isn’t Dotseth’s organic son, in response to the son’s affidavit. The Reformer just isn’t naming him as a result of when reached by the Star Tribune for remark, he mentioned he feared for his security.
“(Dotseth) would say things like, if slavery was still around today, he would have slaves,” the son mentioned in his affidavit. “I hated this because it showed his lack of care for humans and their basic freedoms. I was often referred to as Kunta Kinte in a joking manner. I felt like it was always a little more than a joke.”
Kunta Kinte is a personality in Roots who was kidnapped from Gambia and bought into slavery within the U.S.
Dotseth, in his sworn 2008 affidavit, denied the “unfounded” allegations of home abuse and mentioned he agreed to the order of safety in opposition to him with out making an admission to the abuse allegations. Dotseth mentioned Kowal had develop into violent, alleging she had “spit in my face, thrown objects at me, frequently hit me and pulled my hair.”
Dotseth additionally mentioned he was involved about Kowal’s psychological and bodily well being.
Dotseth informed the Star Tribune in an announcement that he now has “cordial relationship with my ex-wife, and have worked to put this difficult chapter of my life behind me.”
In her affidavit, Kowal mentioned she and Dotseth would steadily focus on divorce, however these conversations would flip into arguments, she mentioned. In a single episode, Kowal mentioned Dotseth put his fist in her face, informed her he wished she was lifeless and mentioned she was a “horrible wife.”
“Then he backed up, held his fingers in the form of a cross (and) proceeded to dramatically yell at me, ‘Get back Satan, get back, the devil is in you.’ I looked at him, shook my head, and laughed because what else do you do when someone does something so strange, comical, and disturbing at the same time,” Kowal mentioned within the affidavit.
Dotseth on the time had “a lot of guns,” Kowal mentioned. This involved her, as a result of the loaded weapons have been accessible to their younger daughter, Kowal alleged.
“When we are up north, (Dotseth) keeps a loaded gun by the glass sliding door upstairs. Our beds are up there, and (our daughter) sleeps upstairs, but if you say something to him, he gets mad,” Kowal mentioned. “(Our daughter) had said something about this also, his response (was) ‘don’t go by the guns.’ This is very dangerous, especially around kids … This is not what a nonviolent person does to his family.”
Home Minority Chief Lisa Demuth, R-Chilly Spring, has not mentioned whether or not she’s going to take away him from the Home GOP caucus.
In an announcement despatched to the Reformer that was additionally offered to the Star Tribune, Demuth mentioned that “domestic violence is an absolute red line for me — it’s never acceptable under any circumstances.”
However Demuth additionally mentioned that the case “was resolved through the legal process more than 15 years ago, concluding with no charge or conviction for domestic assault. I spoke with Rep. Dotseth and he reiterated the contents of what was in his affidavit denying the allegations that were made during the divorce proceedings.”
He was initially charged with home assault, and later pleaded responsible to a lesser cost of disorderly conduct.
Minnesota Reformer is a part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit information community supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Minnesota Reformer maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor J. Patrick Coolican for questions: data@minnesotareformer.com. Observe Minnesota Reformer on Fb and X.
