Democrat Brian Poindexter is facing a sexual harassment investigation before taking office after defeating Republican Rep. Max Miller in Ohio. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has hired an independent firm to examine an allegation involving a woman who worked on his campaign. His campaign has also brought in an outside human resources firm to investigate. The complaint concerns comments allegedly made during his congressional run.
Poindexter won Ohio’s 7th Congressional District on November 3rd and arrived in Washington the following week for freshman orientation. A union ironworker and former Brook Park council member, he was among three Ohio Democrats who flipped Republican-held congressional seats. Those victories helped Democrats secure control of the House, where the incoming class will join lawmakers preparing their agenda for the next Congress.
The allegation had reached Democratic organizations before voters finished casting their ballots. The Blue Dog PAC and Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC said they learned of the complaint in the campaign’s final days and alerted the DCCC. Both organizations withdrew their endorsements pending an investigation. They said the woman had asked them to withhold details publicly while she considered her options and sought to protect her identity.
The New York Post reported that Poindexter, 47, defeated Miller by approximately 10 percentage points. Miller had been embroiled in a contentious custody dispute with his former wife, who accused him of abuse, allegations he denied. The outgoing Republican’s former wife is the daughter of Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio, as Cleveland.com reported.
Responding to the complaint, Poindexter’s campaign offered its account in a statement to CNN, which reported the response. “Brian gave what he thought was an innocuous compliment to a volunteer,” a spokesperson said. The spokesperson said Poindexter subsequently learned that the remark had made her uncomfortable and felt remorseful. The campaign said it began working with an outside human resources firm after he learned of the concern.
Cheyenne Hunt, whose organization Reckoning Action is supporting the woman, told CNN that the woman contacted her two days before the election. Hunt described her as a “very low-level staffer” and declined to disclose specifics of the allegation to protect her anonymity. CNN also reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Poindexter wasn’t invited to the Progressive Caucus or Blue Dog Coalition’s new-member orientations.
Watch Poindexter discuss his congressional candidacy before the election here:
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The DCCC confirmed its investigation on Friday, November 13th, with executive director Julie Merz outlining the outside firm’s assignment. In a statement provided to Ideastream Public Media, which reported the announcement, Merz said investigators would examine inappropriate behavior, interview those involved and establish the facts. She said the committee had selected an independent third party in the interest of fairness to everyone involved.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been informed of the allegation, according to a person familiar with the discussions who spoke to CNN. His office directed questions to the DCCC while its inquiry proceeds. Merz said further comment from the committee would follow the investigation: “Upon completion of that investigation, which we have asked to be swift, thorough and transparent, the DCCC will have further comment.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.