Ohio Democratic House hopeful faces drug and assault allegations amid campaign
Democratic congressional candidate Brian Poindexter was arrested for allegedly swallowing a crack cocaine rock during a 1998 traffic stop and for slapping a spectator at a 2013 baseball game.
Brian Poindexter, a city council member and former union organizer, is the Democratic nominee challenging Republican Max Miller for Ohio’s Seventh Congressional District seat. Police records indicate that in January 1998, when he was 18, Poindexter was stopped on a drug-laden Cleveland street and allegedly placed a “rock of suspected crack cocaine” into his mouth, leading to his arrest for drug abuse. In August 2013, while attending a Cleveland Indians game, he was accused of slapping 55-year-old fan Bob Rzepka after the man commented on Poindexter’s rapid consumption of a hot-dog.
Police intervened and ejected Poindexter from the stadium. The revelations arrive amid ongoing legal troubles for both candidates, including accusations against Miller involving his ex-wife. Poindexter’s campaign has denied any hard-drug use, labeling the claims as false.
Why it matters
The allegations could sway voter perception in a tightly contested Ohio congressional race.
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