GOP politician arrested with guns outside of Trump rally sues sheriff for defamation
A Las Vegas man who was arrested last weekend with firearms outside a Donald Trump rally in southern California has sued a sheriff who accused him of being a would-be assassin.
Vem Miller, a 49-year-old dual U.S.-Canadian citizen and online conspiracy theorist, filed a defamation suit against Riverside County sheriff Chad Bianco alleging that he "intentionally, maliciously and with a blatant disregard for the truth, wanted to create a narrative so as to be viewed as a 'heroic' Sheriff," reported HuffPo and CBS News.
"Even after being notified by both United States Secret Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation that they did not believe Miller was a threat and declined to interview him," the complaint states. "Bianco, continued to make preposterous allegations."
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Miller was taken into custody Saturday for having a loaded handgun, shotgun and a high-capacity magazine in the parking area of the former president's rally in Coachella, and the sheriff described him at a news conference the following day as a “lunatic” with “fringe” views and claimed the arrest may have prevented a third assassination attempt.
"Bianco’s acts of holding repeated press conferences perpetuating a false narrative against Miller continues to shock the conscience & exceed the bounds of decency," the suit alleges.
Trump's ear was bloodied in July after it was apparently grazed by a gunman's bullet at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and last month another suspected assassin was arrested while lurking around with a rifle outside his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while the former president played a round.
Miller, who says he's an artist and runs a website called the America Happens Network, which features videos about 9/11 and Covid-19 conspiracy theories, told CBS News he's a Trump supporter who actively volunteered for his campaign in Nevada and attended the Republican National Convention in July.
He also claims that he's been in close proximity to Trump "at least 20 times" and has spoken in the past with Trump's sons.
The suit states that Bianco falsely alleged that Miller possessed a fake VIP pass and press credentials for the Coachella event, but the Trump campaign denied his claim that they issued those credentials.
Miller's attorney in this matter is Sigal Chattah, the national committeewoman for the Nevada GOP, but she and other state Republican officials told HuffPo they don't know where he got the credentials he was carrying.
The Trump campaign and Chattah have not yet commented on the defamation suit.