‘Why Not Just Give it Back?’ CNN’s Dana Bash Grills Mike Lawler on Keeping $10,000 from Max Miller-Linked PAC

CNN’s Dana Bash grilled a defiant Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) over why he wouldn’t simply return a donation he received from a Rep. Max Miller’s (R-OH)-linked PAC amid child abuse accusations against Miller.

On Thursday’s Inside Politics, Bash brought up Lawler’s colleague, noting the donation and Miller’s denial of allegations against him, which include physical abuse against both his ex-wife Emily Moreno and their young daughter. Miller has denied all allegations and refused to drop his reelection bid, with President Donald Trump reportedly still in his corner.

“Why have you decided not to return the $10,000?” Bash asked Lawler, who is also running for reelection.

Lawler said he’s spoken to Miller about his family before and he spun the question on his opponent, Democrat Cait Conley, who has received donations from former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer (D). Spitzer resigned from office in 2008 after it was found he’d been using a prostitution ring run by an escort agency.

Lawler said:

Well, first of all, there’s been a lot of allegations leveled. I know max very well. I’ve talked to him personally over the last two years about this very difficult family situation. It’s tragic. I don’t think anybody disagrees about that. But this is something that should play out in family court. I think the fact that some in the media and my Democratic colleagues have tried to turn it into a spectacle and, you know, use this situation for political points is wrong. But look, my opponent Cait Conley took tens of thousands of dollars from Eliot Spitzer, who admitted to trafficking young women across state lines for the purpose of prostitution and sexually abused them. She has not returned those funds and he admitted to the conduct. Max has not.

When pressed, Lawler said he would not get into his private conversations with Miller.

“It sounds like you’re saying that you’re not returning the donations because you believe him,” Bash said.

“Look, this is a private family matter that unfortunately has spilled out into the public. It should be adjudicated in family court. Max has been accused. Max has also made accusations against his ex-wife. It is tragic. And obviously I don’t condone any level of abuse. But ultimately, there’s been nothing that has been corroborated here, which is part of the reason why Max is continuing to run for reelection,” Lawler threw back.

The two then got into crosstalk as Lawler went back to bashing his opponent and Bash barreled forward with questions about the money until she finally broke through.

“Can you explain, just politically speaking, why not just give the money back? It’s only $10,000 and you have $4.8 million cash on hand. Is it the principle because you’re his friend and you believe him? I’m just trying to get to the bottom of why,” she said.

“Dana, do you have information that proves the allegation?” Lawler asked.

Bash said she did not and noted Miller denied the allegations.

“I mean, are you aware of something that the rest of us are not?” Lawler continued.

“No. Absolutely not. He denies it and his ex-father-in-law, who is a senator, very much says that he should not be in Congress,” Bash said, referring to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), who has accused Miller of putting his family through “hell” and called for him to resign.

Lawler said:

I understand. It’s a tragic family situation that has spiraled into the public, but again, you have this situation where the allegations have not been verified. You yourself just acknowledged they have not been verified. And yet my opponent took tens of thousands of dollars from the former governor of New York, who resigned in disgrace because he sexually abused young women. Are you okay with Cait Conley keeping that money?

Bash said she didn’t have an opinion either way and argued the question about the donation is worth asking, especially when Miller is such a “hot topic” in the media and political circles.

Lawler dismissed it as a “typical Washington media game.”

“If there’s evidence Max did something then obviously there should be a thorough investigation of that, but thus far there’s been nothing to verify any of the claims that have been leveled. have been leveled,” he said. “I think it is a tragic family situation. We all know people who have gone through nasty divorces. This is a very unfortunate situation.”

Miller’s ex-wife has accused him of pointing a gun at her head, throwing scalding hot water on her, fracturing their daughter’s collarbone, and more. She also filed a lawsuit on behalf of their daughter, accusing Moreno and his team of having “recklessly published and distributed on the internet an unredacted nude photograph” of the daughter in a photo dump.

Watch above via CNN.

Jason Cohen contributed to this report.

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