Man sues California sheriff for portraying him as a would-be assassin at Trump rally
Vem Miller's lawsuit alleges that the Riverside County Sheriff claimed he was trying to assassinate former President Trump at a Coachella rally on Saturday.
A man who says he was wrongfully accused of a potential assassination attempt on former President Trump at a California campaign rally Saturday has filed a lawsuit against the sheriff who made the accusations.
"They essentially dropped a nuclear bomb into my life where my life will never be the same, regardless. You know, there's a legal word called restitution, which means to make you whole again after a calamity like this. And there is no ultimate restitution in this," Trump supporter Vem Miller told Fox News Digital. "You know, the internet is forever. Essentially, they did incredibly damaging things to my life."
Miller, of Nevada, was arrested for possessing firearms outside the Republican presidential nominee's rally in Coachella over the weekend, and says he was given a VIP pass to the rally and has an extensive media and political history.
"They keep saying that I was trying to get into the Trump rally with guns, which is highly inaccurate. The accurate description of what I was trying to do is that I was trying to go to a private parking lot, park my car, then walk at least a quarter-of-a-mile," Miller said.
WHO IS VEM MILLER, MAN ARRESTED OUTSIDE TRUMP COACHELLA RALLY? 4 THINGS TO KNOW
Vem Miller is suing the Riverside County Sheriff for what he is claiming is a false narrative after he alluded to Miller potentially trying to kill former President Trump. (Reuters/Mike Blake)
Miller said if he was estimating correctly, the parking area was at least half a mile away from the actual perimeter of the rally, which he says was intentionally set up that way.
"It is set up purposefully that way, because guns are not the only way to assassinate people. It's also car bombs. So you don't want to have cars like a Timothy McVeigh-style situation near the rally. So these are two distinctly separate locations," Miller explained. "So that has to be characterized correctly, because I would not be so foolish to think that. And I think people know at this point from my talk, my demeanor and all that stuff, my work that I've done, like, I'm not going to make a stupid mistake like that."
When he was stopped on his way into the rally, Miller told officers he had a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine. Miller claims he has never fired them, but he started keeping them with him when he started getting death threats.
"The guns, by the way, that we're talking about, which is, I don't know, like a four-foot-long shotgun and a Glock. None of them are automatic. None of them are rifles. None of them are even the kind of accuracy you would need in order to execute something of this sinister proportion that I was initially being accused of. They're not even the right guns for that. So it's like, you know, there's so many flaws in this," Miller said.
Miller says his life has been turned upside down since Saturday, and he is living in constant fear for his life and those he cares about, fearing "crazy guys trying to protect Trump" would try to "off him" because they think he was trying to kill Trump.
Republican presidential nominee former President Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the Calhoun Ranch in Coachella, Calif., Saturday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
"If you're a headline reader, you think I'm the third Trump assassin in the company of two psychopaths, you know, two very mentally ill individuals, which is not what I am. And so that's frightening," Miller said.
Miller filed 10 claims in a federal lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging that Riverside County Sheriff Chad 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 lawsuit also states that "even after being notified by both the United States Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that they did not believe Miller was a threat and declined to interview him, Bianco continued to make preposterous allegations against Miller, holding press conferences perpetuating his delusional and false narrative."
The lawsuit reads that "Riverside police engaged in deliberate and wrongful conduct and compromised police protocol, violating Miller’s constitutional rights for the purpose of promoting and engaging in a meritless and gratuitous sensational story."
Miller, 49, is a registered Republican, a member of the Clark County Republican Party’s Central Committee, and served as a Trump caucus captain during the 2024 presidential primaries, according to the complaint. He told Fox on Sunday that he is "all-in" supporting Trump.
"Instead of apologizing to Miller for the false accusations made against him, Bianco compounded [his own] misconduct, perpetuated [sic] a boisterous and delusional narrative that has caused irreparable harm to Miller’s character and reputation," the complaint read.
Miller said that the one silver lining in all this is that Bianco and his department will now be investigated and properly cleaned up.
"This department that has been investigated before, that has displayed multiple accounts of criminal affairs is now having to really be investigated and properly cleaned up. Because the issue here is, you know, you hear about these levels of corruption. We all know whether we're left, right, Democrat or Republican, that there's a lot of corruption. And the question becomes, why does this corruption happen? Why is it so rampant?" Miller said.
"And I think the answer is simple….is that when people aren't held accountable where there's no punishment for crime, and you and I, by the way, if we did things like this, we'd be in jail, right? So, we the people, would be in jail. But apparently, once you have a title that protects you, and you could operate under the color of law and essentially, that means being a criminal, using your your title, your privilege. So that's the issue," Miller continued.
Miller emphasized that the sheriff's department's behavior was unacceptable and that they need to be held accountable for their actions.
Republican presidential nominee and former President Trump speaks during a rally in Coachella, Calif., Saturday. (Reuters/Mike Blake)
"This is just awful behavior. The most basic thing as an officer of the law is you have to prove what is lawful or unlawful and evidence is involved. And when somebody has zero evidence but seems to be doing something for other reasons, I mean, those people do not belong in office," Miller said.
Miller added that one thing that has surprised him through all this has been the level of support he has received from his circle and people he has worked with throughout his career.
"I mean, nobody ever questioned my version of the story. Nobody ever even thought that I was capable of this. You know, in order for me to be capable of this, I would have had to live a very detailed life for the last six years, been an incredibly social, pathological liar, done 800 episodes just to put a false front out there," Miller said. "I mean, it would have to be like the greatest James Bond level. It is just something that I don't think is even feasible for a human being to be able to establish that kind of fraud."
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office sent a statement to Fox News Digital and acknowledged the lawsuit.
"We acknowledge the lawsuit filed against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and take such matters seriously. However, as it is pending litigation, we cannot comment on the specifics at this time. We are committed to transparency and will cooperate fully with the legal process. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of the community we serve. We appreciate your understanding as we address this matter," the statement read.
Fox News Digital's Bryan Preston contributed to this report.
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