News

Actions

Knollenberg denies assaulting Brown

Posted at 6:31 PM, Feb 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-11 20:52:11-05

Two local politicians are back in the spotlight over allegations that one of them assaulted the other.

The allegations involve State Senator Martin Knollenberg of Troy and Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown.  She says he assaulted her at a political event last night. He says it was all a misunderstanding.

Brown filed a complaint with the sheriff's department accusing Senator Knollenberg of assault. It is now under investigation.

Brown would not go into details, but the Oakland County Sheriff's Department tells 7 Action News the clerk accuses Knollenberg of grabbing her arm when trying to talk to her at the afterglow following Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson's State of the County address Wednesday night.

When Brown declined to talk, the lawmaker allegedly would not let go until others came to her aid.

The senator's office tells 7 Action News he denies he assaulted Brown and that it was all a misunderstanding.

His spokesperson also says Knollenberg was surprised by the allegations, learning about them on Twitter this morning.

This is not the first time either public official has been in the spotlight.

You may recall Brown - who used to be a state lawmaker - was sanctioned by house Republicans for saying vagina during an abortion bill debate.

Knollenberg made headlines last year for what some perceived as racist comments about African-American students and failing schools.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Department tells us it is all under investigation and they are interviewing a few more witnesses and one of them will be Senator Knollenberg.