Blake Miguez, a Republican congressional candidate from Louisiana who faces a 2007 rape accusation reported to local law enforcement—a claim he denies—is currently deciding in which of two newly drawn districts to run. Neither district is his residence, but both are legally permissible for his candidacy.

This decision follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Callais v Louisiana, which led to the swift redrawing of Louisiana’s U.S. House districts. Previously, Miguez had secured Donald Trump’s endorsement under the old district map.

After Miguez’s campaign website was password protected and blanked on Wednesday, a spokesperson stated, “Blake was honored to have President Trump’s endorsement for [an] old … congressional district that no longer exists” following Callais, and that he “hopes to earn it again after he announces a campaign under the new district lines.”

A White House spokesperson clarified that Trump has not formally rescinded his endorsement, adding, “At this point, [Trump] has not made any changes nor does he have an intent to. If new information changes things, we will cross that bridge when we get to it.” The spokesperson also noted Trump “will look at the candidate field after candidate [qualifying] if necessary.”

Miguez’s campaign has contended with an Atlantic report alleging he did not disclose the 2007 rape accusation to Trump’s team during the endorsement process. This reportedly raised concerns within the White House that Miguez “either wasn’t fully vetted or wasn’t forthcoming about discoverable documents from his past.”

Lionel Rainey, spokesperson for a political action committee supporting another candidate in the postponed U.S. House race, Rick Edmonds, criticized attributing the uncertainty over Trump’s endorsement to redistricting, calling it “silly.”

In related political news, on July 10, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine withdrew his candidacy days after detailed sexual assault allegations surfaced against him.

Sources