Incoming Ohio congressman Brian Poindexter faces harassment inquiry as Democrats pull endorsements
File photo: NBC NewsHouse Democrats have hired an independent firm to investigate a sexual harassment allegation against Representative-elect Brian Poindexter of Ohio, the Democrat who defeated Rep. Max Miller in last week's midterm election.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee confirmed the inquiry on Friday, saying it had hired an outside firm to investigate "any instance of inappropriate behavior, conduct interviews and gather the facts." No finding has been made against Poindexter, and the investigation is ongoing.
"The DCCC has been made aware of the allegations and takes them seriously," said Julie Merz, the committee's executive director.
The allegation was made by a woman who worked on Poindexter's campaign. She has not been identified, and the specifics of her complaint have not been made public. Cheyenne Hunt, whose group Reckoning Action is supporting the woman, told CNN she was contacted by the aide two days before the election and described her as a "very low-level staffer."
A spokesperson for Poindexter's campaign said the allegation stemmed from a comment the candidate believed was harmless. "Brian gave what he thought was an innocuous compliment to a volunteer. He heard later that it made her feel uncomfortable and he felt awful," the spokesperson said in a statement. "When Brian learned about this, we immediately began to work to get to the bottom of it with an outside HR firm. Neither Brian nor the campaign ever wants anyone to feel uncomfortable."
The DCCC was alerted to the allegation just before Election Day by two political action committees, the Blue Dog PAC and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC. Both groups said in a joint statement that they informed the DCCC and connected the woman with legal advocacy and support services, then pulled their endorsements of Poindexter pending the outcome of the investigation.
"We became aware of a report of alleged sexual harassment in the final days of the campaign," the two groups said. "The individual requested that we did not disclose any details about this publicly because she did not want her identity becoming public and she wanted an opportunity to determine how she wanted to proceed while protecting herself."
Poindexter's removal from the two groups' endorsement lists came as new members were arriving at the Capitol for orientation. A source familiar with the matter told CNN that Poindexter was not invited to the new member orientation for the Progressive Caucus.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been made aware of the allegation, according to a person familiar with the discussions. His office referred CNN to the campaign arm, pending the ongoing investigation.
Poindexter, 47, a union ironworker and former Brook Park city councilman, defeated Miller, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, by about 10 percentage points in the race for Ohio's 7th Congressional District, which covers Medina and Ashland counties and parts of Cuyahoga and Wayne counties. The unwelcome development comes as Democrats are trying to focus on building out their agenda after a sweeping victory in November.
Republicans called for answers. Republican National Committee National Press Secretary Natalie Baldassarre said Ohioans and the American public are owed an explanation.
The investigation comes as Congress is grappling with how it handles allegations of sexual misconduct, and a group of Democrats is pushing for stricter conduct rules as part of a rules package for the full House next year.
Sources: CNN, "Democrats investigating sexual harassment allegation against incoming Ohio Congressman" (Nov. 13, 2026); New York Post, "Dems launch sexual harassment probe against newly elected Brian Poindexter — who ousted GOP Rep. Max Miller" (Nov. 14, 2026); Akron Beacon Journal, "Democrat who defeated U.S. Rep. Max Miller faces harassment inquiry" (Nov. 13, 2026).
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