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Report filed on claims state lawmaker abused 2 women

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(Undated) — Republicans in the Pennsylvania House have wrapped up their investigation into allegations that a state lawmaker was violent and abusive toward another lawmaker and a second woman, but they declined on Wednesday to release their report to the public, citing House rules.

House GOP leaders said in a statement they would send their investigative file on Delaware County Republican Rep. Nick Miccarelli to the county prosecutor in Harrisburg for review. Miccarelli has not been charged and vehemently denies the allegations.

Republican Rep. Tarah Toohil filed a complaint with the House on Feb. 8 and, last week, obtained a temporary protection order against Miccarelli, a five-term Republican.

In a petition filed with the court, Toohil alleged Miccarelli pointed a gun at her, threatened to kill her and was physically abusive during a relationship that ended several years ago. She also asserted that he has been physically intimidating her at the Capitol this year.

After her Feb. 8 complaint, Toohil wrote, “I … now fear for my safety at work.”

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.

Both women have been interviewed by the Dauphin County district attorney’s office.

Miccarelli categorically rejects the allegations as lies and has resisted calls from House GOP leaders, Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and others to resign, calling his accusers former girlfriends with whom he had “consensual sexual relations” before his recent marriage.

“It needs to be said that the #MeToo movement is laudable, but what about the #NotMe movement? Nick Miccarelli is an innocent man,” his spokesman, Frank Keel, said in a statement on Wednesday. “This entire process has been grossly unfair.”

The House GOP provided the report to Miccarelli and his lawyers. Keel declined to comment on the contents of the report itself, citing a confidentiality clause.

He has previously called the allegations part of a “smear campaign” intended to end Miccarelli’s political career.

Miccarelli and Toohil are set to square off on Thursday at a hearing in Wilkes-Barre on whether to extend Toohil’s temporary protection from abuse order. The order prohibits Miccarelli from being any place where Toohil lives or works, meaning he is not permitted to step foot in the Capitol when she is there.

In a weekend statement released by her lawyers, Toohil, a four-term representative from Luzerne County, said she came forward to “protect other women.”

“This does not define me. It’s something that happened to me,” she said. “And if I — as a lawyer and a lawmaker — could be this afraid of that individual, then I can only imagine how the other victims feel, which is why I am coming out publicly.”

Attorneys for the two accusers said both women came forward after Miccarelli posted comments on Facebook on the national furor over sexual misconduct allegations.

An earlier story appears below. 

(Harrisburg) — Republicans in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives are sending prosecutors the results of their investigation into allegations by two women who accuse a sitting lawmaker of abusive behavior.

The House GOP leadership announced Wednesday they forwarded the report about Delaware County Republican Rep. Nick Miccarelli to the county prosecutor in Harrisburg.

Republican state Rep. Tarah Toohil alleges Miccarelli pointed a gun at her and stalked her. And a political consultant says he forced her to have sex. Miccarelli hasn’t been charged and denies the allegations.

Republicans say House rules prohibit them from releasing details of their report to the public. The report was given to lawyers for Miccarelli and lawyers for the two women who filed the complaint.

Miccarelli is resisting calls from House Republican leaders and others to resign.

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