Cohen also allegedly skipped child-support payments at the same time he was investing his own money -- a total of more than $2 million -- in his successful bid to become the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. His ex-wife, Debra York-Cohen, alleged just two months ago that he owed her nine months worth of back child support totaling $54,000 for their four children.
York-Cohen described life with the millionaire pawnbroker as "pretty unbearable" and said she lived "in constant fear of him," according to a May 2005 order of protection she filed in the divorce case.
"Over the past year, my husband has been taking injectable anabolic steroids. And as a result, he has an erratic, explosive temper," York-Cohen explained in seeking the protection order. She also said Cohen tried to force her to have sex with him.
Despite their bitter divorce battle, Cohen and his ex-wife were doing joint media interviews Thursday -- the same day Quinn said Cohen "should step aside" if Cohen can't adequately explain the circumstances surrounding an October 2005 domestic-battery arrest that the Sun-Times revealed new details about Tuesday night.
In that case, a prostitute with whom Cohen was living alleged he held a knife to her throat. She showed police minor scars on her neck and hands. The charge was dropped when the woman failed to show up in court.
Cohen said Thursday he never laid a hand on anyone, has no plans to step down and intends to ride out the storm of questions about the arrest.
He said his former live-in girlfriend called police in retaliation for him having her arrested on a property-damage charge for destroying his apartment months earlier.
"I never knew her as a prostitute. She was a massage therapist," Cohen said on WTTW-Channel 11's "Chicago Tonight." "She may have had marks, but if there were, they were done by her. And if we can find her, we will have her [explain that]."
In an upset that shocked everyone, the then unknown Scott Cohen seemingly came from nowhere and beat veteran politcians, Art Turner and Rickey Hendon to win the Democratic spot to run for Lt. Governor of Illinois.
The horror stories told above by his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend, described as a prostitute, have caused the most controversey since the indictment of former Governor Rod Blagojevitch and have outraged women's groups in spite of his ex-wife's explanation that he was on steroids at the time, it was a difficult time.
Kasandra Malone, a friend of his ex-girlfriend, said she described him as "a really nice guy."
Mr Cohen has stated repeatedly that he revealed his background before the elections. Yet no one bothered to check it or no one cared about his background. Why are the fuss now? Typical crook county Politics. The west side and soputh side of the city is hit with rampant crime, high unemployment, abandoned buildingd and vacant lots cover the landscape and our leaders do nothing or do not know or want to do anything. The voters are taken for granted and expected to vote for these pols year after year./p>
This "surprise winner" should let the Democrats know that voters are tired of the "business as usual" politics that have given this city the reputation as one of the most, if not the most corrupt, city in the U.S.
Mr Cohen has said he will not step down, this should make for a pretty interesting election either way.
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