Politics

Joe Miller says detained reporter followed him into restroom

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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Joe Miller says the reporter handcuffed after trying to ask him questions has a pattern of doing weird things — and followed him into the restroom before Sunday night’s altercation.

“This is just absolutely crossing the line,” said Miller, a Republican candidate in Alaska for the U.S. Senate, on Fox News.

The reporter in question, Tony Hopfinger, claims his First Amendment rights were violated when handcuffed and detained by a private security firm employed by Miller’s campaign. Hopfinger, the editor and co-founder of AlaskaDispatch.com, said he was just trying to ask Miller a question at the time. He was held by the security firm until the Anchorage Police arrived at the scene and released him.

Miller’s campaign says Hopfinger shoved a security employee.

“While I’ve gotten used to the blog Alaska Dispatch’s assault on me and my family, I never thought that it would lead to a physical assault. It’s too bad that this blogger would take advantage of a ‘Town Hall’ meeting to create a publicity stunt just two weeks before the election,” Miller said.