U.S. Representative Max Miller faces a defamation lawsuit from an Ohio physician over allegations the Congressman provided false information to police regarding an alleged highway confrontation involving antisemitic threats. Miller, who represents Ohio in Congress, maintains that cell phone evidence will prove the accuracy of his statements about the incident.
According to court documents, Dr. Feras Hamdan filed the defamation lawsuit against Miller in February. The Ohio-based doctor, a first-generation Palestinian American, alleges that Miller, who is Jewish, falsely portrayed him as an "unhinged" and "deranged" antisemite who "threatened to kill" Miller and his family and "ran him off the road" during a highway incident in Rocky River.
The case centers on a confrontation that Miller described on social media, stating: "The deranged hatred in this country has gotten out of control. Today I was run off the road in Rocky River, and the life of me and my family was threatened by a person who proceeded to show a Palestinian flag before taking off." Miller reported filing a police report with Capitol Police following the incident.
Dr. Hamdan claims Miller contacted police to report the incident, which resulted in the doctor being charged with ethnic intimidation and tampering with evidence, both felonies. Miller stated on social media that Hamdan attempted to run him off the road "when he couldn't get my attention to show me a Palestinian flag." The Congressman added, "We know who you are, young man, and the police are going to be paying you a visit."
According to the lawsuit, Hamdan claims Miller told 911 dispatch that Hamdan "said he wanted to kill me and my daughter." The complaint further alleges Miller stated that Hamdan "rolled down his window and said I'm going to cut your throat and your daughter's [a]nd he said you're a dirty Jew, I'm going to f***ing kill you all, and I know who you are and where you live." Following these allegations, Hamdan's offices were raided by police and he was arrested.
Dr. Hamdan maintains that Miller's claims were proven false after evidence emerged during his criminal case. The doctor presented data from his Tesla vehicle showing his car window remained closed during the alleged incident, making it physically impossible for him to shout threats that Miller could have heard. Hamdan retained an acoustics expert who determined that any communication between the two men would have been impossible while driving at freeway speeds, with any sounds being "scrambled and unintelligible."
Based on this evidence, Hamdan alleges Miller fabricated the threatening statements attributed to him, prompting the defamation lawsuit. The doctor points to Miller's public statements about the Middle East, noting the Congressman became a household name after stating in a 2023 interview that Gaza would be "eviscerated and go away here shortly as we're going to turn [Gaza] into a parking lot."
However, Hamdan acknowledges he did display his phone to Miller during the encounter, stating he pulled out his phone to show Miller a photo of a Palestinian flag and "put it against the glass to show him."
Miller has denied allegations that he lied about the incident and filed a countersuit. In new court documents, Dr. Hamdan claimed Miller obtained a limited warrant that allowed him to gain access to Hamdan's phone records, which the doctor alleges Miller used to "harass and embarrass him."
In response, Miller claimed the doctor was "desperately seeking to shield from public view the very evidence that exposes his own antisemitism and the vile racism, antisemitism, and homophobia of the physicians and associates with whom he chooses to surround himself." The Congressman further alleged that Hamdan is attempting to "suppress the truth about his own conduct" and "wishes to hide his true self" by trying to block the release of cell phone evidence.
Miller previously claimed the cell phone evidence demonstrates the doctor had been discussing him for months prior to the highway incident. The legal proceedings remain ongoing as both parties continue to present evidence supporting their respective accounts of the confrontation.
The case represents the latest legal challenge for Miller, who has also been involved in divorce proceedings with his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, daughter of Senator Bernie Moreno.
