几个月前，当我准备发表一篇关于俄亥俄州共和党众议员马克斯·米勒被指控对三名女性实施身体虐待的调查报道时，他的危机公关顾问警告我说，米勒“有很多诽谤律师”。当我向发言人克里斯·弗拉斯托询问这是否是一种威胁时，他回避了回答。但其潜在含义似乎很明确：发表一篇对米勒不利的报道，可能会面临法律后果。
A few months ago, as prepared to publish an investigation about allegations of physical abuse against three women by Ohio Republican Rep. Max Miller, his crisis communications adviser warned me that Miller has “many defamation lawyers.”When I asked the spokesperson, Chris Vlasto, if that was a threat, he demurred. But the possible implication seemed clear: Publish a story that reflected poorly on Miller and potentially face legal consequences.
或许效仿他曾经的老板、前总统唐纳德·特朗普——他在2022年参选国会之前曾担任特朗普的竞选和白宫助理——米勒及其众多律师近年来对各种对手采取了激进的法律手段，从他现任恋人的前夫，到他目前的国会竞争对手布赖恩·波因德斯特。
Perhaps taking a page from his former boss President Donald Trump, for whom he worked as a campaign and White House aide before running for Congress in 2022, Miller and his many lawyers have deployed aggressive legal tactics against a range of foes in recent years, from the ex-husband of his current love interest to his current congressional opponent, Brian Poindexter.
米勒的诉讼和停止侵权函的轰炸包括针对两名前任伴侣的诽谤案，他们指控他实施了袭击。其中包括前白宫新闻秘书斯蒂芬妮·格里沙姆，她写道，一位前任（广泛被理解为米勒）“对她动手了”；还有前妻埃米莉·莫雷诺，她声称米勒曾“用枪指着她的头”，向她泼沸水，并把她推到墙上。
Miller’s barrage of lawsuits and cease and desists has included defamation cases against two former romantic partners who accused him of assault, including former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who wrote that an ex, widely understood to be Miller, “got physical” with her, and ex-wife Emily Moreno, who claimed Miller had “held a gun” to her head, tossed boiling water at her, and shoved her against a wall.
9月，米勒向当地电视台发出停止侵权函，要求它们停止播放由波因德克斯特竞选团队制作的节目。米勒声称，该节目对他所涉暴力指控的描述属于诽谤。8月，民主党政治活动组织者阿曼达·利特曼也在社交媒体上称米勒是“弄断了自己幼子锁骨的人”，随后她也收到了停止侵权函。（据7月份的报道，米勒曾因女儿锁骨骨折一事接受调查，但根据后续调查报告，该指控最终被认定为“缺乏事实依据”，无人因此受到刑事起诉。利特曼随后删除了自己发布的原帖。）
In September, Miller sent a cease-and-desist letter to local television stations for running an created by Poindexter’s campaign, contending that its characterization of the allegations of violence by Miller were defamatory. Amanda Litman, a Democratic political organizer, also received a cease-and-desist in August after characterizing Miller on social media as a man who had “broken his toddler’s collarbone.” (As reported in July, Miller was investigated for his daughter’s broken collarbone but the case was ultimately “unsubstantiated,” according to an investigative report supplement. Nobody was prosecuted for the child’s injury. Litman deleted her original post.)
即便在当今政治法律斗争日益频繁的时代，米勒及其律师的做法依然显得格外突出：他们的许多书面沟通内容完全可以被视为具有法律或声誉层面的威胁。例如，米勒曾对当时担任莫雷诺律师的文斯·斯塔福德表示，他打算公开谈论斯塔福德与2013年一起谋杀案之间的所谓关联。（斯塔福德及其兄弟约瑟夫共同经营一家律师事务所，该事务所曾雇佣格雷戈里·摩尔。摩尔被指控谋杀了客户艾丽莎·谢尔曼，原因是他未能妥善履行辩护职责。目前摩尔即将接受刑事审判。在2026年提起的一起民事诉讼中，遇害女子的女儿指控称，摩尔“得到了其雇主斯塔福德律师事务所的协助”。诉讼内容具体指出：“在得知摩尔的行为及检察官正在展开调查后”，斯塔福德律师事务所帮助摩尔获取了新的手机设备，这些设备随后被用于实施一系列行动，以实施对艾丽莎·谢尔曼的绑架，且手段刻意规避了侦查。）
Even in an age of heightened political lawfare, the approach of Miller and his lawyers stands out in that many of their written communications can reasonably be perceived as legal or reputational threats. In one instance, Miller told Moreno’s then-lawyer Vince Stafford that he intended to speak publicly about an alleged connection Stafford had to a 2013 murder. (Stafford and his brother Joseph ran a law firm that employed a man, Gregory Moore, who has been accused of murdering a client, Aliza Sherman, because he was ill-prepared to represent her in court. Moore is about to stand criminal trial. In a separate civil suit filed in 2026, the daughter of the slain woman alleged that Moore “had help from his employer, Stafford Law.” Specifically, the suit alleges that “upon learning of Mr. Moore’s conduct, and the prosecutor’s investigation,” Stafford Law helped Moore obtain new cellular devices that were used to “perform overt acts in furtherance of the kidnapping of Aliza Sherman in a manner calculated to avoid detection.”)“You and your brother’s alleged involvement in this is awful…Thanks again for this variable,” Miller wrote in one of several emails requesting that Moreno’s lawyers expedite their work on the divorce.
“你和你兄弟涉嫌与此事有关，实在令人发指……再次感谢你在此事上的协助，”米勒在多封邮件中的一封里这样写道。这些邮件的目的都是要求莫雷诺的律师加快处理离婚相关事宜。
The email was later included in a court exhibit in which Moreno’s legal team requested a restraining order against Miller.
该电子邮件后来被纳入法庭证据，莫雷诺的法律团队曾据此申请对米勒发布限制令。
“I will be commenting on this if I do not hear anything by end of day,” Miller wrote in another email to Stafford, which also appeared in court filings. “I didn’t create this issue, you, the opposing counsel, allegedly did. Don’t salivate. I’m smart enough not to be sued for defamation. I’ll wait until this evening. Enjoy the beautiful day outside!!” (Vince Stafford declined to comment. Responding to questions about the civil suit and Miller’s emails, Joseph Stafford said “all” of the statements pertaining to him in the civil suit are “false, and distortions of the truth.”) Miller has also made apparent threats to his former father-in-law, US Sen. Bernie Moreno. In August, Miller told he had some form of dirt on the Ohio senator. He conveyed something similar in a direct text to Sen. Moreno, which was also included as an exhibit in a court filings in Miller and Moreno’s custody case.
“我如果到今天下班前还没收到任何消息，就会对此发表评论，”米勒在另一封发给斯塔福德的邮件中写道，该邮件也出现在法庭文件中。“我没有制造这个问题，你们，对方律师，据称才是制造者。别流口水。我足够聪明，不会因诽谤被起诉。我会等到今晚。享受外面美好的一天！!”（文斯·斯塔福德拒绝置评。针对有关民事诉讼和米勒邮件的问题，约瑟夫·斯塔福德表示，“所有”涉及他在民事诉讼中的陈述都是“虚假的，并且是对事实的歪曲。”）
“Take this however you want, everyone is going to get to know you better than your wife does,” Miller wrote. “Enjoy the ride brother, I wouldn’t have to do this if you could keep your lying daughter under control.”
米勒还对其前岳父、美国参议员伯尼·莫雷诺提出了明显的威胁。八月份，米勒告诉他，他对这位俄亥俄州参议员掌握了一些不利信息。他在给莫雷诺参议员的直接短信中也表达了类似意思，该短信也被纳入米勒和莫雷诺监护权案件的法庭文件作为证据。
On a separate matter, Miller’s lawyer of several years, Larry Zukerman, also deployed unusually aggressive tactics in a previously unreported cease and desist letter obtained by There is no indication that Miller directed this letter to be sent. It says it was written on behalf of Jaclyn Alatrash, whom the letter referred to as the “significant other” of “Congressman Max Miller.”The recipient was Matthew Kampert, a physician who was previously married to Alatrash.
“随你怎么理解，大家都将比你妻子更了解你，”米勒写道。“享受这段旅程吧，兄弟，如果你能管好你撒谎的女儿，我就不用这么做。”在另一件事上，米勒多年的律师拉里·祖克曼也在一份之前未被报道的停止和终止信中采用了异常激进的策略，该信件由《There is no indication that Miller directed this letter to be sent.》获取。该信件称是代表杰琳·阿拉特拉什撰写的，信中将她称为“众议员马克斯·米勒”的“重要他人”。收件人是马修·坎珀特医生，他以前曾与阿拉特拉什结婚。
As is standard practice in cease-and-desist letters, it commanded Kampert to stop speaking negatively about his ex-wife to local media and third parties. In a footnote citing the dissolution of their marriage, Zukerman threatened that Alatrash could reopen their separation proceedings “to seek an award of spousal support, as well as her rightful interest in any other personal and/or real property.”“If your conduct as addressed herein does not immediately cease, Ms. Alatrash may pursue an action to vacate your dissolution and to recover any and all assets and property from you to which she has a legal right,” it says. Kampert says this felt like an effort to “extort more money” from him. (Earlier this month, Alatrash was indicted by a grand jury for grand theft, telecommunications fraud, and misuse of a credit card in connection to allegations from Kampert that she spent over $9,000 with his credit cards after they were legally separated. She’s scheduled to be arraigned October 23.) The cease-and-desist then accused him of working with Emily Moreno to damage the reputations of Alatrash and Miller.
根据停止和终止信的惯例，该信件命令坎珀特停止向当地媒体和第三方对其前妻发表负面言论。在引用他们婚姻解除的脚注中，祖克曼威胁称，阿拉特拉什可能重启他们的分居程序，“以寻求配偶赡养费的判决，以及她对任何其他个人和/或不动产的合法权益。”信中写道：“如果您在此所述的行为不立即停止，阿拉特拉什女士可能提起诉讼，以撤销您的婚姻解除，并追回您所持有的、她依法有权获得的任何和所有资产和财产。”
坎珀特表示，这让他感觉像是试图“勒索更多钱财”。（本月早些时候，阿拉特拉什因大盗窃、电信欺诈和滥用信用卡被大陪审团起诉，此案源于坎珀特的指控，即她在两人合法分居后，使用他的信用卡花费超过9000美元。她定于10月23日出庭受审。）随后，该停止和终止信指控他与埃米莉·莫雷诺合作，损害阿拉特拉什和米勒的声誉。
“It seems you believe that you share a common purpose with Ms. Moreno Miller, though I assure you that you are being deceived,” Zukerman writes, accusing Kampert of “menacing by stalking” and “telecommunications harassment.”
“你似乎认为自己与莫雷诺·米勒女士有着共同的目标，但我必须告诉你：你其实被欺骗了，”祖克曼写道，并指责坎佩特“通过跟踪行为进行威胁”以及“实施电信骚扰”。
For his part, Kampert says he has never spoken to Moreno. But Zukerman, who has represented Miller since at least 2021, claimed Moreno is nonetheless using him as “a disposable tool to advance her own agenda, leaving you to bear the consequences, including potential risks to your medical license.”Zukerman went on to state that he had unrelated information on Kampert that could jeopardize his career. “I am also aware of your willingness to engage in cruel and criminal behavior, including but not limited to, criminal diversion of narcotics from your place of employment,” Zukerman wrote under a screenshotted text of Kampert admitting he gave his dog medication.
坎佩特则表示自己从未与莫雷诺说过话。然而，自2021年以来一直为莫雷诺·米勒代理事务的祖克曼声称，莫雷诺实际上只是将坎佩特当作实现自己目标的“工具；所有后果都将由你承担，包括你的医疗执照可能面临的风险”。祖克曼还称自己掌握了一些与坎佩特相关的、可能危及其职业生涯的信息，并补充说：“我也知道你曾有过残忍甚至犯罪的行为，包括但不限于从工作场所非法转移麻醉药品。”
Stealing narcotics is indeed illegal, but Kampert adamantly denies the claim. He says he gave his 10-year-old dog a steroid injection to help the pet’s arthritis pain once in 2021. Though Kampert is not a veterinarian, corticosteroids are not controlled substances.
虽然偷窃麻醉药品确实是违法行为，但坎佩特坚决否认这一指控。他解释说：2021年时，他确实给自己10岁的狗注射了类固醇，以缓解狗狗的关节炎疼痛；不过类固醇并不属于受管制的药品。
Citing Ohio’s “cruelty to animals” criminal statute, Zukerman wrote that the steriod injection“may have ultimately resulted in your dog’s death.”Yet Roo didn’t die until two years after he administered the medication, which Kampert says seemed to improve the dog’s mobility.
祖克曼援引俄亥俄州关于“虐待动物”的相关法律规定，认为这次类固醇注射“最终可能导致你的狗死亡”。不过实际上，那只狗直到两年后才去世，而坎佩特表示注射后狗狗的活动能力确实有所改善。
Two experts pointed to potential issues with the way the letter presents this evidence. For one, the screenshot about the medication appears to have “nothing to do with any legitimate claim that the writer has,” says New York University Law School professor Stephen Gillers, whose expertise is legal and judicial ethics. After reviewing the cease and desist, Gillers added: “Without coming to any conclusion here, and depending upon which state’s law applies, that could be seen as extortionate.”
两位专家指出了这封函件在呈现证据方式上存在的潜在问题。纽约大学法学院教授斯蒂芬·吉勒斯（Stephen Gillers）指出，关于该药物的截图“与作者所提出的任何合法主张都毫无关联”；吉勒斯的专长在于法律与司法伦理。在审阅了这封警告函后，吉勒斯补充说：“虽然我目前还不敢下定论，但根据适用的法律条款，这种行为可能被视为敲诈行为。”
And beyond accusing Kampert of a crime he denies, there’s another potential issue with Zukerman’s letter. Zukerman demands the letter be kept “confidential,” and writes that “unauthorized disclosure may result in additional legal consequences.”Upon review of the letter, Michael Frisch, ethics counsel at Georgetown Law Center, says that statement could be viewed as providing legal advice to an opposing side, which is forbidden by professional conduct rules.
除了指控坎佩特（Kampert）犯有他本人否认的罪行之外，祖克曼（Zukerman）的这封函件还存在另一个问题：祖克曼要求将这封函件保密，并表示“未经授权的披露可能会引发进一步的法律后果”。乔治城大学法律中心的伦理顾问迈克尔·弗里施（Michael Frisch）认为，这样的声明实质上是在向对方提供法律建议，而这违反了专业行为准则。
Kampert rebukes the suggestion that Zukerman gave him “advice.”To him, it felt like an effort to “intimidate and threaten my livelihood.”I reached out to Miller, his spokespeople, and his lawyers to ask about the intent of their apparent legal strategy. Were the contents of the cease-and-desist sent to Kampert, the text sent to Sen. Moreno, the emails sent to Vince Stafford, and the comments made to me before publishing our July 18 investigation meant to be threatening?
坎佩特驳斥了祖克曼“向他提供法律建议”的说法，称这封信纯粹是一种“恐吓和威胁其生计”的手段。我联系了坎佩特的发言人及律师，想了解他们这种看似合法的行为背后的真正意图：那封警告函的内容是否真的被发送给了坎佩特？那些发送给莫雷诺参议员（Sen. Moreno）的邮件、发给文斯·斯塔福德（Vince Stafford）的电子邮件，以及在我发布7月18日的调查报告之前祖克曼对我的那些评论，是否都具有威胁性？他们拒绝予以回应。
They declined to respond.