Pennsylvania lawmaker gets restraining order against another legislator – By Associated Press (triblive.com) / March 9 2018
HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania state lawmaker who says a fellow lawmaker pulled a gun on her and threatened to kill her has gotten a restraining order against him.
State Rep. Tarah Toohil alleges that fellow Republican Rep. Nick Miccarelli pointed a gun at her in 2012 and on another occasion, when the two were in a car, warned he would crash the vehicle while speeding 100 mph on a highway, The Citizens’ Voice reported .
A Luzerne County judged granted the restraining order Friday, barring Miccarelli from contacting Toohil and prohibiting him from possessing firearms.
He has not been charged with any crime and denies the allegations. He called them “complete fabrications” in a March 1 Facebook post.
Frank Keel, a spokesman for Miccarelli, called the allegations outrageous and baseless, part of a smear campaign. He questioned why Toohil would wait “six long years” to take legal action.
“She knew Nick was recently married. It’s unconscionable that Toohil would abuse the (protection from abuse) process in this way at this time, knowing the shame and embarrassment it would bring to Nick and his new family.”
Toohil also alleged that Miccarelli kicked, pinched and hit her. She said she was so concerned about her safety she appended a note to her life insurance policy that said Miccarelli should be investigated if something happened to her.
In a separate allegation against Miccarelli, a political consultant claims that after she ended their relationship in 2014, Miccarelli came to her house and forced her to have sex, holding her neck during part of the alleged attack.
Toohil, who has not alleged Miccarelli sexually attacked her, said in her request for the protection order that Miccarelli had attempted to blackmail her by releasing photographs and that he has harassed and stalked her since a relationship between them ended.
She said she has been “in fear for my safety at work” since filing a complaint against him in the state House and that Miccarelli tried to intimidate her to “remain silent” after news of the allegations was first released.
Miccarelli, 35, is in the middle of a fifth two-year term, representing a district just outside Philadelphia. He said on Facebook he got married last month.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers have both called on him to resign amid the allegations.
PB/TK –
