MASH MONSTER: Katie Porter Dumped Boiling Mashed Potatoes on Husband, Lawsuit Claims

The ex-husband of California Rep. Katie Porter (D.) has accused her of subjecting him to verbal and physical abuse, with one incident involving her dumping a pot of boiling mashed potatoes on his head. The allegations, which were made in divorce filings from a decade ago that recently resurfaced, claim that Porter was emotionally and physically abusive towards her ex-husband Matthew Hoffman in front of their children. The Congresswoman denies the allegations, but her former staffers have similarly accused her of berating them, making racist remarks, and firing workers due to contracting the coronavirus. These accounts could potentially harm her campaign to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.).

In response to these allegations, Porter claimed that her ex-husband had abused her both physically and verbally, which led to her obtaining a restraining order against him and pressing charges. The couple was divorced in 2013 after a decade of marriage, during which time they had joint custody of their children.

In one particular incident that occurred in 2006, Hoffman claims that Porter dumped a bowl of boiling mashed potatoes over his head, causing burns on his scalp. Her response at the time, according to Hoffman, was to berate him further stating “Can’t you read the f***ing directions.” While Porter denies the claims, the couple’s divorce filings indicate that they have a history of offering disparate accounts of the same events.

With the upcoming elections, Porter’s campaign could suffer from these allegations, as well as the high turnover rate in her office. Former staffers have accused her of being abusive, which may bring into question her capacity to lead effectively. Nevertheless, the final divorce agreement required Porter to pay alimony to Hoffman and granted them joint custody of their children.

According to a police report from the incident in 2013, Porter had gone to law enforcement due to being scared of her ex-husband’s agitated state, although she did not have any visible injuries. However, the report mentioned that the couple’s son admitted to past physical abuse by Hoffman.