Scott Miller, the former Salt Lake County GOP chair who resigned amid allegations of a toxic and bullying environment in the party, now says he regrets apologizing for the matter and insists he’s being “Kavanaughed.”
Seven women came forward with stories of the county party’s then-communication director, Dave Robinson, using foul language, calling them inappropriate names and withholding campaign resources from candidates during the past election season. Some of the women said they sought help from Miller, but little was done.
Miller resigned less than 24 hours after The Salt Lake Tribune published itsstory outlining the women’s complaints late last month.
“I made a mistake with how I handled the complaints lodged by Republican women and my recent communications,” Miller wrote in a resignation statement March 28. “I’m sorry.”
Now, he is rescinding those words.
“I recant my resignation,” Miller said Thursday. “Unequivocally.”
He said a “high-ranking elected official,” whom he did not name, had persuaded him to “apologize and move on.”
“I didn’t want to do it,” Miller said. “I acquiesced to the experience of that elected official. And I shouldn’t have. I shouldn’t have listened to him.”
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County Councilwoman Laurie Stringham, who earlier alleged she was told she had to continue working with Robinson on her campaign even after she raised concerns, said Miller and Robinson are trying to change the narrative.
“They’re trying to minimize what they did,” she said Thursday. “The more people call out this bad behavior and choose not to accept it, the less these people have power.”
Although he left his county GOP post, Miller remains in the running to become the party’s next state chair, whom delegates will select at their convention May 1. In an email to delegates April 17, Miller called for an investigation into the allegations against Robinson.
“Unfortunately, the Salt Lake County GOP and State GOP have not supported a 3rd-party investigation, even though Mr. Robinson has repeatedly requested such,” Miller wrote. “Do the State GOP and Salt Lake County GOP simply accept ‘guilt by accusation’ as they watch the feigned indictment play out in the press?”
The current state party chair, Derek Brown, declined to comment. But it’s unclear what authority the state party has to investigate a county party, since they’re separate organizations.
Click here to read the Tribune's full report.
