Miccarelli accuser details sex allegations; he fires back
A political consultant who has alleged rape and related charges against state Rep. Nick Miccarelli, R-162 of Ridley Park, claims he is distorting the truth in his defense to news outlets.
The allegations by the consultant and another woman, a state official, are contained in a confidential three-page complaint filed with the state House in early February. Both women dated Miccarelli years ago. The consultant indicated in the complaint that Miccarelli had been “mentally and physically abusive” to her during their relationship in 2014 and she decided to end it.
The evening she terminated the relationship, Miccarelli “forcibly compelled her to engage in sexual activity against her will,” according to the complaint. She also alleges that he drugged her and “engaged in non-consensual sexual behavior.”
The allegations were first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Caucus, which published a joint investigative report last week based on that complaint, as well as discussions with the accusers and others close to the case.
The complaint is being reviewed by state House investigators as well as the Dauphin County District Attorney’s office. No charges have been filed in the case.
Miccarelli has vehemently denied all of the allegations in the complain. He spoke with the Daily Times last week with his attorney, Joseph Podraza, but had not seen the complaint at that time.
During that interview, Miccarelli provided a series of text messages with the consultant that was dated by hand “2015 approx.” Those texts included flirting between Miccarelli and the consultant over the outcome of a basketball game.
But the consultant said during an interview accompanied by attorney Terry Mutchler Sunday that the texts, presented in the form of a word document without dates or times, had been “cobbled together” from multiple conversations.
“These are from different years and not chronological at all,” the consultant said Sunday. “I’m not disputing the content, but I think some of it is pieced together.”
Podraza provided additional screenshots taken from Miccarelli’s phone Tuesday showing the interaction occurred between Oct. 22, 2014, and Nov. 6, 2014. The consultant said the wager of the bet was discussed at the outset of the night the alleged rape occurred.
Miccarelli also provided the Daily Times with a series of emailed pictures of the alleged victim in suggestive poses wearing scant clothing, dated Dec. 29, 2013.
Podraza said the pictures were provided to demonstrate that the consultant was a “freer spirit” than was depicted in the original story.
“I don’t think I was depicted (in that story) as being pure or chaste at all,” the woman said. “He’s trying to paint a picture that is just not accurate.”
The consultant said she sent the pictures in confidence at Miccarelli’s insistence, claiming he has a history of “slut-shaming” as a way to discredit or silence detractors.
The state official said in the House complaint that she went to police with concerns Miccarelli may have tried to use potentially embarrassing information against her, according to the Inquirer and Caucus story. She said she did not provide more information, as police asked, because she was afraid of him, they reported.
“Him putting my name on Facebook is exactly what I was afraid of him doing,” the consultant said Sunday. “Him handing these pictures around is exactly what I was afraid of him doing.”
Miccarelli takes a different view.
“There was no coercion whatsoever involved in the accuser’s decision to send sexually explicit text messages to Nick, as well as taking and sending racy photos of herself to him,” Miccarelli spokesman Frank Keel wrote in an email. “The accuser is simply not telling the truth. There is a reason why Nick Miccarelli won’t resign and is going forward with his reelection campaign – because he’s innocent of these outrageous allegations against him.”
While the consultant said Miccarelli mostly ignored her when she was not there, the state official described Miccarelli to newspapers as controlling and claimed he kicked, pinched and hit her, including at legislative events they attended together. Mutchler, who is also representing the official, said Sunday that there were witnesses to those incidents and that the official attached a note to her life insurance policy indicating Miccarelli should be investigated if something happened to her.
The Daily Times does not identify victims or alleged victims of sexual abuse or sexual harassment, but Miccarelli did identify the consultant in a statement asserting his innocence.
Miccarelli told the Daily Times that he named the woman because, “In this country, you have a right to face your accuser.”
The consultant said she will never be alone in a room with Miccarelli again, but said neither he nor his attorneys have reached out for a meeting where he might actually face his accuser across a table with Mutchler present.
“So he’s not taking advantage of the rights that he says he is entitled to,” Mutchler said.
The consultant also addressed questions about the timing of the accusations. It an election year and Miccarelli, 35, a five-term incumbent, is seeking re-election. He also was recently married, as detailed in a front page story in the Daily Times on Valentine’s Day.
Despite being a staunch conservative who does not engage in what she deemed mainstream liberal movements, the consultant said she only decided to come forward after Miccarelli supported the #metoo movement in a Facebook post.
But she noted the complaint was filed in confidence in early February and said she had no control over the timing of last week’s story breaking. She added that she is not seeking any remuneration and has been discussing the alleged rape with therapists and colleagues for some time.
“My complaint was filed with the House,” the consultant said. “I’ve been talking with people about this for years. Maybe to everybody else in the public domain, since he shot my name out there, it’s coming up now, but I’ve been dealing with this for three years.”
The consultant also disputed that she is a jilted lover, claiming she did not even know Miccarelli was engaged until a reporter told her. She noted her business has been negatively impacted and she has had to live in a hotel for the last week out of fear of going home.
“There is very little positive about coming forward,” she said.
A House investigation is underway and Dauphin County District Attorney Francis Chardo confirmed Friday that his office is also investigating with other agencies, including Capitol Police.
Miccarelli has reportedly been stripped of his security clearance at the state Capitol and can only access the building through public entrances that include a security screening.
Stephen Miskin, press secretary for House Republican leadership, said Monday that the House investigation is still ongoing.
“They’re still trying to finalize things,” he said.
Chardo said Monday that there was nothing new to report on his office’s independent investigation.
Miccarelli is meanwhile continuing with his re-election campaign and was expected to file his nominating petitions with the state Tuesday, the deadline for candidates in 2018 races.