Blake Miguez, a Louisiana congressional candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, was the subject of a 2007 rape accusation reported to local police but never disclosed to the public, according to a police report obtained by the Guardian. The allegation, made by a woman who described Miguez as her “live-in ex boyfriend” at the time, did not result in criminal charges after the accuser reportedly refused to press charges, investigators wrote.
The Atlantic reported on Wednesday that the White House was concerned Miguez “either wasn’t fully vetted or wasn’t forthcoming about discoverable documents from his past” before securing Trump’s endorsement, citing two unnamed sources. Miguez’s campaign denied the allegations on Thursday, calling them “categorically false,” and linked to a Louisiana news outlet quoting the accuser’s family members who questioned her credibility, citing mental health issues and drug problems.
The police report documenting the allegation has circulated among political circles for months. In late June, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office received a public records request for the report, six days after Miguez announced his intention to challenge Senator Bill Cassidy. The request came from an email address linked to a national Republican party researcher, according to the Guardian.
Miguez dropped his Senate bid on 3 February and instead entered the race for Louisiana’s fifth congressional district, left vacant by Julia Letlow as she challenges Cassidy. The allegation was first publicised on 27 February by conservative journalist Matthew Foldi, who focused on an email from the accuser’s father expressing support for Miguez and denouncing his daughter’s claims.
The accuser’s father sent the email to Miguez’s office on 24 February, stating, “Everything my daughter has reported about you were lies and she is a liar and has a drug problem.” The email did not explain how the father knew the allegations were false, and he did not respond to requests for comment. The accuser could not be reached, and there is no indication she retracted her allegations.
