Lawyer for Minnesota lawmaker denies domestic abuse reports

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The attorney for a Minnesota Democratic state representative facing calls to step down over allegations of domestic violence says the reports are not true and could be part of a smear campaign by law enforcement.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and top state Democratic lawmakers are calling on state Rep. John Thompson to resign following reports of domestic violence allegations in his past. KMSP-TV reported Friday that Thompson is accused in four domestic assault cases, spanning a period between 2003 and 2009, including allegations that Thompson punched and choked women, sometimes in the presence of children.

Thompson’s attorney, Jordan Kushner, says his client “maintains the allegations are false and he was never found guilty of them in a court.”