Candice Miller released a statement this morning essentially comparing Donald Trump’s newly revealed sexist comments with the behavior of her opponent in the November election, Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Tony Marrocco.
The outgoing congresswoman said that Marrocco spread false claims that she was “knocked up” as a young woman. Miller also referenced an old lawsuit in which Marrocco was accused of sexually harassing a woman he had hired in the public works office who was allegedly his stripper/girlfriend.
A Harrison Township Republican, Miller was among the first high-level officials in Michigan to endorse the billionaire businessman. In today’s press release, she gave no indication that she will withdraw the endorsement, despite prior insistence by Marrocco, a Ray Township Democrat, that she do so.
On Friday, The Washington Post unveiled a 2005 audio recording on which Trump engaged in several lewd remarks about women. The recording was made while he was being shadowed by an “Access Hollywood” TV host and was preparing to make a cameo appearance on a soap opera.
Miller
“There is no excuse for Donald Trump’s comments. It happens to women a lot and I am dealing with it in my current campaign,” Miller said.
“… During a Macomb Chamber of Commerce interview, my opponent, Anthony Marrocco, told chamber panelists that he was more qualified than me because I got knocked up in high school. This wasn’t a private conversation.”
That remark came during a panel discussion in June with approximately eight people as Marrocco was seeking the chamber’s endorsement. According to one person who was present, the Democratic incumbent falsely claimed that the reason Miller never finished college (Northwood University) was because of an unintended, hidden pregnancy. No evidence exists that Marrocco’s accusation is true.
The source who was on hand said many of the panelists thought Marrocco’s behavior was stunning and “creepy.” Chamber endorsement sessions are confidential.
In mid-August, when www.politicscentral.org asked Marrocco’s campaign manager, Mike Radtke, about rumors of the remark, he responded this way: “Mr. Marrocco doesn’t remember saying anything like that. But if a past conversation he had in passing was taken as offensive, he apologizes. As a grandfather, Mr. Marrocco is a firm believer in opportunity for everyone.”
As for the sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Marrocco, Miller said this in her statement:
“Anthony Marrocco hired a former stripper for a position with whom he was having a personal relationship, selected her for that position despite ten others applying for it, harassed her while she was working for him and fired her after she ended their personal relationship. Marti Parker then sued him for sexual harassment which cost Macomb County taxpayers almost $100,000 in legal fees and Anthony Marrocco had to pay a personal payment of what is said to be up to a million dollars to her.”
The dollar figures cannot be verified.
The 12-year-old lawsuit was first resurrected in June by County Executive Mark Hackel during a WJR-AM radio interview. Hackel said the legal action claiming sexual harassment by her boss was filed by the woman less than a year after her hiring.
In response to the Miller statement, Radtke accused Miller of “gutter politics,” but did not offer any details about the sexual harassment lawsuit. Radtke said that Millier’s environmental track record in Congress is poor. He also provided a statement from Marrocco that said, in part:
“If she hasn’t gone one hundred percent Washington, Miller will renounce her vote for Trump immediately, and apologize for her past behavior.”
Photo: Fox 2 News screenshot
