Before he was a military policy aide to Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Derrick Miller was court-martialed and convicted of murdering an Afghan civilian in 2010, The Intercept reported on Wednesday. Miller, a former U.S. Army National Guard sergeant, was on a combat mission in Afghanistan when he shot the 27-year-old victim in the head during an interrogation. “I shot him. He was a liar,” Miller said, according to a prosecutor. Miller claimed he’d acted in self-defense, but another soldier testified he’d seen Miller threaten the civilian, then shoot him as he sat atop him while the man was lying prone. Miller then left the body in a latrine, violating military standards, according to The Intercept. He was sentenced to life in prison, but only served eight years before a lobbying effort led to his release. “We proudly stand with our Military Legislative Assistant Derrick Miller,” a Gaetz spokesperson told the outlet. “He was wrongfully convicted and served our country with honor.”
