Congressman-elect Brian Poindexter, a Democrat who recently defeated embattled Rep. Max Miller (R) in a heated House race in Ohio, is under investigation for alleged sexual harassment.
While full details of the allegation were not immediately made public, according to a Poindexter aide who was granted anonymity to discuss the investigation, the alleged harassment involved what Poindexter “thought was an innocuous compliment to a volunteer.”
“He heard later that it made her feel uncomfortable and he felt awful,” the aide said, adding that the campaign hired a human resources firm to look into the matter.
Two PACs that supported Poindexter’s candidacy, the Blue Dog PAC and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, said they became aware of a report of alleged sexual harassment in the final days of Poindexter’s campaign and informed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the arm of the Democratic Party that works to elect House candidates. The PACs also dropped their endorsements of Poindexter, though neither said why at the time.
According to the PACs, they did not explain the change in endorsement because the individual who made the allegation requested that no details be disclosed publicly, and she “did not want her identity becoming public and she wanted an opportunity to determine how she wanted to proceed while protecting herself.”
The DCCC, in a statement to The Washington Post, said it hired an independent, third-party firm to investigate Poindexter — who won’t be sworn in as a congressman until January.
“The DCCC has been made aware of the allegations and takes them seriously,” said Julie Merz, the organization’s executive director. “Upon completion of that investigation, which we have asked to be swift, thorough and transparent, the DCCC will have further comment.”
Poindexter, by a margin of nearly 10 points, won a race largely defined by the multiple allegations of domestic violence Miller faces, all of which the incumbent denies.
Those allegations include claims by Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, that he threw hot water from a pan at her, held a gun to her head, and that he hurt their 2-year-old daughter, who was found in February to have a fractured collarbone and “a bruise that accompanies the injury that appears to be in a handprint and appears to have been inflicted,” according to a police report.
Poindexter ran attack ads emphasizing these allegations, and made them a central talking point during the campaign.
Poindexter — like the rest of the House freshman class — is scheduled to be sworn in to Congress on Jan. 3. He has not signaled that he’ll step away from the seat over the allegations. If a member-elect resigns before being sworn in, the state’s governor is tasked with calling a special election to fill the seat.
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