‘We are safer’: GOP lawmaker wins protection from colleague

(Wilkes-Barre) — A Pennsylvania lawmaker who alleges a fellow lawmaker pulled a gun on her and threatened to kill her was granted a three-year protective order against him on Thursday.

“We are safer today,” state Rep. Tarah Toohil declared.

Toohil alleges fellow Republican Rep. Nick Miccarelli was physically abusive during a relationship that ended in 2012 and has been physically intimidating her at the Capitol this year. Miccarelli has not been charged and vehemently denies her allegations. He announced plans to run for re-election shortly after a judge granted the protection order.

Toohil last week obtained a temporary protection-from-abuse order that had barred Miccarelli from setting foot in the Capitol in Harrisburg while she was there.

He’ll be able to return to work at the Capitol under an agreement that extends Toohil’s temporary order to three years but does not require him to admit wrongdoing.

Miccarelli, a 35-year-old Iraq War veteran from Delaware County, declared victory.

“I’ve had little to no contact with her for a long time, and you know what? If that’s what settles this matter, that I have no contact with her as I’ve had none for a long period of time, I’m OK with it,” Miccarelli said at the Luzerne County Courthouse.

Toohil said she’s satisfied with the terms of the extended agreement, which also forbids Miccarelli from possessing a firearm except during the performance of his National Guard duties.

“We are very pleased with the outcome and got everything that we were coming here to do, and we are safer today,” Toohil said. “And that’s what we were trying to do, is secure our safety. My safety.”

A second accuser, a political consultant, claims that after she ended their relationship in 2014, Miccarelli went to her house and forced her to have sex. He has denied her claim.

Both women have been interviewed by the Dauphin County district attorney’s office and by House GOP investigators, who completed their probe and turned the results over to prosecutors on Wednesday.

House Republicans have not released their report to the public, but Toohil’s lawyer, Jarrett J. Ferentino, said Thursday it “found Ms. Toohil to be credible.”

Ferentino added: “She’s absolutely still fearful of him.”

Miccarelli has resisted calls from House Republican leaders, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and others to resign, previously calling his accusers former girlfriends with whom he had “consensual sexual relations” before his recent marriage.

“The constituents of my district, they know me. The outpouring of support from them has been unbelievable. They want me to continue serving as their representative,” he said. “I plan to stand for re-election, and we’re going to leave this to the voters.”

In a petition filed with the court last week, Toohil, 38, of Luzerne County, wrote that Miccarelli pointed a gun at her, threatened to kill her and hit, pinched and kicked her during their relationship in 2011 and 2012. She also alleged Miccarelli has physically intimidated her in the Capitol this year by walking past her office, standing by her desk on the floor of the House and stalking and staring at her. Miccarelli carried a gun in the House, she added.

One of Miccarelli’s lawyers, Joel Frank, is general counsel of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, though he represented Miccarelli in his capacity as a private lawyer. Miccarelli spokesman Frank Keel said the lawmaker paid his own legal bills.

An earlier story appears below. 

(Wilkes-Barre) — A Pennsylvania lawmaker who alleges a fellow lawmaker pulled a gun on her and threatened to kill her was granted a three-year protective order against him Thursday.
“We are safer today,” state Rep. Tarah Toohil declared.

Toohil alleges fellow Republican Rep. Nick Miccarelli was physically abusive during a relationship that ended in 2012 and has been physically intimidating her at the Capitol this year. Miccarelli has not been charged and vehemently denies her allegations. He announced plans to run for re-election shortly after a judge granted the protection order.

Toohil obtained a temporary protection-from-abuse order against Miccarelli last week that had barred him from setting foot in the Capitol in Harrisburg while she was there.

Miccarelli will be able to return to work at the Capitol under an agreement that extends Toohil’s temporary order to three years but does not require him to admit wrongdoing.

Miccarelli declared victory.

“I’ve had little to no contact with her for a long time, and you know what? If that’s what settles this matter, that I have no contact with her as I’ve had none for a long period of time, I’m OK with it,” Miccarelli said at the Luzerne County Courthouse.

A second accuser, a political consultant, claims that after she ended their relationship in 2014, Miccarelli came to her house and forced her to have sex. He has denied her claim.

Both women have been interviewed by the Dauphin County district attorney’s office and by House GOP investigators, who completed their probe and turned the results over to prosecutors Wednesday.

Miccarelli has resisted calls from House Republican leaders, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and others to resign, previously calling his accusers former girlfriends with whom he had “consensual sexual relations” before his recent marriage.

“The constituents of my district, they know me. The outpouring of support from them has been unbelievable. They want me to continue serving as their representative,” he said. “I plan to stand for re-election, and we’re going to leave this to the voters.”

In a petition filed with the court last week, Toohil wrote that Miccarelli pointed a gun at her, threatened to kill her and hit, pinched and kicked her during their relationship in 2011 and 2012. She also alleged Miccarelli has physically intimidated her in the Capitol this year by walking past her office, standing by her desk on the floor of the House and stalking and staring at her. Miccarelli carried a gun in the House, she added.

“I … now fear for my safety at work,” she wrote.

She said she’s satisfied with the terms of the extended agreement, which also forbids Miccarelli from possessing a firearm except when he’s performing his National Guard duties.

“We are very pleased with the outcome and got everything that we were coming here to do, and we are safer today,” Toohil said. “And that’s what we were trying to do, is secure our safety. My safety.”

An earlier story appears below. 

(Wilkes-Barre) — A Republican state lawmaker who alleges a fellow GOP lawmaker pulled a gun and threatened to kill her has been granted a three-year protective order against him.

Representative Tarah Toohil alleges Representative Nick Miccarelli of Delaware County was physically abusive during a relationship that ended several years ago.

She also says he’s been physically intimidating her at the Capitol this year.

The two were in a Wilkes-Barre court earlier today to determine if a temporary protection-from-abuse issued last week would be extended.

Bradford County Judge Jeff Smith announced the extension agreement.

Miccarelli doesn’t admit wrongdoing and is not excluded from the Capitol building as part of the order.

He will be prohibited from possessing a firearm, except when he’s performing National Guard duties.

Miccarelli has not been charged and vehemently denies the allegations.

Yesterday, House Republicans concluded an internal investigation into the abuse allegation.

The probe began more than a month ago, when two women first filed their allegations.

One, who has not come forward publicly, said he raped her.

The full report has now been sent to the Dauphin County District Attorney, whose office is conducting its own probe.  

House GOP leaders have already called on Miccarelli to step down.

But because the investigation is a “personnel matter,” state policy keeps them from sharing much.

However, in a statement, House GOP spokesman Steve Miskin did say the caucus enacted “additional safety measures for the benefit of all participants and the general public” during the investigation.

No details were provided.