MINNEAPOLIS — Ward 5 Council Member Jeremiah Ellison is drawing scrutiny at Minneapolis' City Hall after accepting a Harvard fellowship while remaining in elected office and missing a string of council meetings.

Ellison, in his final months representing north central Minneapolis, was absent from Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, where fellow council members debated whether his travel and remote obligations conflict with city expectations. Ellison has not attended a council meeting since Aug. 12.

Ellison is being paid about $110,000 per year as a council member and will receive a stipend from Harvard of nearly $58,000 during his Loeb Fellowship. Because Minneapolis generally requires council members to be physically present to vote, Ellison will not be able to participate in votes

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