Verm Miller, once accused of trying to assassinate President Trump at a Coachella rally, filed a $100 million lawsuit against Riverside County for slander and libel.
“You have the epidemic of public officials in this country that think they can walk all over regular people,” Miller said. “It’s sad that a public official feels like they could build their reputation for a governor’s run off a character assassination.
Riverside County deputies arrested Miller last October after the Las Vegas man drove to Trump’s campaign rally in Coachella. Miller’s arrest happened three months after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a month after authorities arrested a man outside of the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate. At the time, Sheriff Chad Bianco said his department “prevented another assassination attempt.”
“Mr. Miller has never said on Oct. 12 or Oct.13 that he wants to kill the president,” said attorney Ethan Bearman, who represents Miller. “They’re not words he spoke. That is a false statement of fact.”
Bearman filed a 32-page complaint against Bianco, Riverside County and the Sheriff’s Department. It states several claims, including slander and libel. Bearman said Miller contacted deputies as he pulled into the parking lot on the day of the rally.
“He announced to the sheriff’s deputy that he first encountered,” Bearman said.
Bearman said his client told the deputy he had firearms in his vehicle and asked if he should turn them over or leave them in his car before going into the rally.
“In other states, that’s a normal set of procedures when going to a public event,” Bearman said.
Authorities handcuffed Miller, searched his car, later arrested him and held him without a requested phone call, according to court documents. He was eventually charged with two misdemeanors for gun possession, but Miller says the damage was done.
“I’m a Trump supporter,” he said. “I’ve been helping with MAGA for a very long time. Now, I face myself with a no-win situation … Every day, I get some sort of text or message insinuating threat against myself or my family.”
The Sheriff’s Department said they do not comment on pending litigation.
“Sheriff Bianco has all the power to spend millions of dollars against a citizen that did nothing wrong,” Miller said. Miller’s attorney pleaded not guilty for his client’s misdemeanor gun charges during the arraignment in January. Miller was not present for the court hearing.