Dr Feras Hamdan, a Palestinian doctor in Ohio, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Republican Congressman Max Miller over a road rage incident last June, despite having pleaded guilty to three misdemeanour charges arising from the same confrontation.
The incident took place on Interstate 90, with Miller telling a 911 operator that Hamdan cut him off, held up a Palestinian flag, and made threats including, "I'm going to cut your throat and your daughter's," and using antisemitic slurs. Hamdan later turned himself in after an arrest warrant was issued. His attorney, Peter Pattakos, has argued that data from Hamdan's Tesla shows the passenger window was closed throughout, making it nearly impossible for Miller to have heard the alleged remarks, and that there was no erratic steering.
Pattakos has accused Miller of pursuing the case for political gain, citing Miller's support for Israel and his previous comments that Palestine would be "eviscerated" and "turned into a parking lot." He said Hamdan accepted a plea deal for expungable misdemeanours because he had "too much to lose" by going to trial.
However, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office suggested Hamdan was receiving "misguided legal advice," stating Miller was "gracious" in permitting a plea that allowed Hamdan to keep his medical licence. Miller's legal team dismissed the lawsuit as "a desperate plea to save face" and pledged to file a counterclaim.
