A Donald Trump rally attendee charged with illegal gun ownership has filed a lawsuit against Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, claiming the sheriff defamed him in public comments made after the arrest.
Vem Miller, a Nevada resident, was arrested after he told sheriff’s deputies that he brought a Glock 19 handgun and a shotgun to the rally in Coachella. Miller planned to leave them in the parking lot, he claims in his complaint.
Following the arrest, Bianco held a press conference in which he named Miller and said that Miller’s intentions were unknown—but that he assumes he was there for an assassination attempt.
“No matter what, it’s all going to be speculation about what his intentions were getting there.
What we do know is he showed up with multiple passports in different names, an unregistered vehicle with fake license plate and loaded firearms. If you’re asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt. If we are that politically lost that we have lost sight of common sense and reality and reason, that we can’t say that, holy crap, what did he show up with all of that stuff for, and loaded guns, and I’m going to be accused of being dramatic? We have a serious, serious problem in this country, because this is common sense and reason,” Bianco said.
Miller’s complaint claims Bianco sensationalized and lied.
“Immediately after Miller’s arrest, Defendant Bianco did not miss an opportunity to fabricate allegations against Miller, going on numerous news outlets, claiming to have thwarted a third assassination attempt against Presidential Candidate Donald J. Trump,” Miller’s complaint says.
“It became clear that Bianco, intentionally, maliciously and with a blatant disregard for the truth, wanted to create a narrative so as to be viewed as a ‘heroic’ Sheriff who saved Presidential candidate Trump from a third assassination attempt,” the complaint continued.
Miller claims he was given expedited entry passes by Trump’s campaign.
The sheriff’s department declined by email to comment on the lawsuit.
The Secret Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI released a joint statement saying that Trump was not in danger.
Miller claims violation of his civil rights, failure to properly train, municipal liability, supervisor liability, deprivation of rights, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation and invasion of privacy.
Miller will appear at court Jan. 2 on his gun ownership charges.
Sigal Chattah of Las Vegas’ Chattah Law Group represents Miller.
Case No. 2:24-cv-01920
Read the complaint here.
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