According to the Washington Post, Republican Minnesota State Representative Knoblach’s daughter, Laura, now 23, claims the abuse began when she was nine. She alleges that one night, Jim Knoblach entered her bedroom, laid next to her in bed, and started touching her inappropriately. Her father would routinely kiss her arms, neck, and bite her ears, Laura claims. This went on for more than a decade.

“He would put his arm around me and not let me get up or get away and he would lick my neck or bite my ear,” she said.

One time, when Laura was 15, her father pinned her down, and asked if she liked the way he was touching her. Scared, and shocked, Laura said that she did.

A lengthy report by Minnesota Public Radio News details the abuse Laura claims to have suffered at the hands of her father.

In 2015, then 20 years old, Laura was back home for the Fourth of July. Her family was shooting fireworks in the backyard.

“I was walking back in [and] my dad just grabs me and like throws me up against a car and he basically grabbed each of my wrists and like pinned my wrists above my head and just started like making out slobbering open mouth kisses with tongue on my neck and biting my ear.”

Later that night, Laura claims, her father Jim Knoblach put his face between her legs, kissing and licking her. At one point, Laura’s mother told Jim to stop the inappropriate behavior. He laughed and continued.

Just as Minnesota Public Radio News was preparing to publish the report, Jim Knoblach announced via his official website that he would be dropping out of the race, and ending his campaign. Knoblach categorically denied his daughter’s allegations, calling them false.

Laura has spoken out before about the more than decade-long period of alleged abuse, and even talked to her friends about it.

Lawmaker quits race after daughter says he molested her for more than a decade https://t.co/Ejx4znAsHJ — Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 23, 2018

“Last week I learned my daughter had contacted Minnesota Public Radio seven months ago, and that MPR was preparing a story on her allegations,” the statement published on jimknoblach.com reads, ” I love my children more than anything, and would never do anything to hurt them. Her allegations are false.”

Knoblach and other family members have made repeated attempts to reconcile with Laura, he claims, but Laura refused.

Jim Knoblach’s lawyer, Susan Gaertner, told the Washington Post that her client is a “physically affectionate father,” and that Laura exaggerated his displays of physical affection.

Laura Knoblach’s accusations against her father come amid intense debate about Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh has been accused of sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford in 1982.

As Reuters reported, President Trump defended Kavanaugh via Twitter, implying that the accusations against his Supreme Court nominee are politically-motivated.