A former Omaha television newsman who once ran for Congress has been accused of domestic violence.

Authorities say Michael Scott was arrested on Thursday. His estranged girlfriend had told police that Scott choked her, hit her in an eye and ripped off two fake fingernails while threatening to kill her last weekend.

Court records say Scott is charged with misdemeanor domestic assault. A Douglas County jailer said Scott remained in custody on Friday, pending $50,000 bail. Court records don’t list the name of Scott’s attorney.

Scott ran as a Democrat for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998 against Republican Lee Terry, who won re-election again on Tuesday.

Scott’s television career included stops at two stations in Omaha and jobs in Dallas and Denver and in Huntsville, Ala.