Police respond to Kathy Miller's home over death threats after racism remarks

By DAVID SKOLNICK

and BRUCE WALTON

news@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

Kathy Miller, who resigned as Donald Trump’s Mahoning County chairwoman and a Republican member of the Electoral College after making “inappropriate” remarks about black Americans and racism, called police to report a threat made against her.

Miller, a former township trustee, called police to her Boardman residence on Creston Drive around 9:20 p.m. Saturday for a specific text message that read: “I know where you live and you will pay for your comments you [expletive],” according to a report.

She told police she has been receiving unwanted texts and calls from a variety of numbers, making threats against her life and property. The threats, she believes, are related to her controversial statement to The Guardian about racism that was published last Thursday.

In a text message Wednesday to The Vindicator, Miller said she received harassing phone calls, text messages, emails and letters.

“I have called back people who left messages or a phone number and responded to emails,” she wrote. “I answer my phone, and I think they are surprised, and the majority hang up then or make choice comments. A lot were really hostile, but the one that bothered me the most was a 330 area code [text message]. I have never gotten into Twitter or Facebook so have missed those.”

Miller reported the Saturday incident for her safety and filed charges, according to a police report. She also asked for extra patrolling in her neighborhood, due to the threats.

She also fowarded a Sept. 22 email from a partner at a Marlton, N.J., law firm to The Vindicator with a subject line that reads: “You are a disgusting [expletive] stain and I hope you get colon cancer.”

In last Thursday’s article, Miller, Mahoning County chairwoman for Trump and the 13th Congressional District’s Republican member to the Electoral College at the time, said: “I don’t think there was any racism until [President Barack] Obama got elected. We never had problems like this ... Now, with the people with the guns, and shooting up neighborhoods, and not being responsible citizens, that’s a big change, and I think that’s the philosophy that Obama has perpetuated on America.”

Among other things, Miller also said, “If you’re black, and you haven’t been successful in the last 50 years, it’s your own fault. You’ve had every opportunity; it was given to you.”

She told The Vindicator later that day that she apologized publicly for “inappropriate” comments, but stood by her statements.

“I’m apologizing that it caused all the problems for Mr. Trump, not for the statements,” she said. “It’s just a distraction. I thought it was best to step aside.”