Newly elected U.S. Representative Brian Poindexter, who defeated Republican Rep. Max Miller in Ohio's 7th congressional district, is under investigation for sexual harassment. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and Poindexter's campaign have launched probes into the allegations, which were reportedly leveled by a campaign worker.
Politico first reported on Friday that the DCCC takes the allegations seriously and has engaged an independent, third-party firm to investigate. "In the interest of fairness to all parties involved, we have hired an independent, third-party firm to investigate any instance of inappropriate behavior, conduct interviews and gather the facts," said Julie Merz, executive director of the DCCC. The committee stated the investigation would be "swift, thorough and transparent" and that further comment would be provided upon its completion.
A spokesperson for Poindexter's campaign attributed the allegation to an "innocuous compliment" that he later learned made a volunteer uncomfortable. The campaign is also working with an outside firm to investigate the matter.
Poindexter, a union ironworker and former Brook Park city councilman, defeated Miller by approximately 10 percentage points in the recent midterm elections. Miller himself had faced controversy during a contentious child custody battle with his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, daughter of Senator Bernie Moreno. Moreno had accused Miller of abuse, which he has denied.
Poindexter's past also includes brushes with the law, including arrests in 1998 for allegedly swallowing crack cocaine during a traffic stop and in 2013 for allegedly slapping a stranger without provocation, according to reports from The Washington Free Beacon.