Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) addressed domestic abuse allegations in a video he livestreamed on X on Sunday. Within hours, his former father-in-law, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), publicly called for him to resign.
In the video, Miller denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated and part of an effort to remove him from the ballot. “I have never, ever put my hands on Emily Moreno. Ever. I want to be crystal clear about that,” he said. “This is a smear campaign. It is a lie. And I will fight it with everything I have.”
He cited his ex-wife’s mental health struggles, pointed to sworn affidavits, and publicly posted a Dropbox link containing documents he said directly counter the allegations. Miller also addressed his daughter directly, stating that everything he does is for her, and noted that no court or agency has substantiated the claims and that he has never been charged with a crime.
Moreno had previously declined to call for Miller’s removal, telling NOTUS when asked whether Republicans should replace him on the ticket, “I don’t know.”
After the video, Moreno posted on X: “If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them. He should not serve in the House of Representatives.” He described Miller as “a danger” to his daughter Emily and their two-year-old granddaughter and said Miller had privately admitted needing “serious psychological help.”
Miller responded on X: “If my daughter said the same thing to me, I personally wouldn’t wait two years before holding him accountable. You know this isn’t true and the only reason you are speaking out now is to hide from your own media circus. This is all political.”
Emily Moreno’s spokesman, Stefan Mychajliw, said in a statement: “There is a documented trove of evidence that Miller has a history of violent and dangerous behavior and no amount of victim shaming will change that. Miller can lie and spin on X, but he cannot do so under oath in a court of law. We are confident that justice will prevail in court.”
Speaker Mike Johnson has described the claims as allegations, telling reporters, “The key word there is ‘allegation.’” President Trump has so far stood by Miller, treating the matter as unproven accusations.
One GOP operative told us Miller’s video was “utterly unhinged, and only exacerbating the fears among DC Republicans about his campaign,” adding that every Democratic operative in the country is “crossing their fingers that Max Miller stays as the nominee.”
One GOP lawmaker argued that divorces can be messy, adding that “Max still has custody of his child” and that a judge would have acted otherwise if something was awry.
Miller has not been charged with any crime. The allegations, which include claims of physical violence toward his ex-wife and injury to their young daughter, remain contested in ongoing court proceedings.
Miller released a public Dropbox folder of files on X that he argues refute the allegations.
