A domestic violence case filed by Rep. Max Miller against his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno, has been formally dismissed. A judge concluded that the Ohio congressman had not been harmed or made to fear for his safety by his former spouse.
Miller, a Republican who has denied allegations of abuse from Emily Moreno, initially filed the petition on February 27, seeking a restraining order against her for their two-year-old daughter and himself. The congressman filed to drop the case in May, but the dismissal was not finalized until Wednesday.
"The Judge finds that Petitioner’s [Miller’s] Counsel was able to inform the reasons for seeking relief, that Petitioner was not under any apparent infirmity and did not appear to have been threatened by or in fear of Respondent [Moreno]," wrote Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court Judge Debra Boros.
Miller initially claimed in a sworn statement that his girlfriend was present during a February 2 custody exchange where Emily Moreno allegedly accused him of shoving her. During a court hearing, Miller stated he had doorbell camera footage to prove his account. However, his team later informed Moreno's lawyer that such footage did not exist. Miller attributed this to confusion regarding the exact timing, explaining his girlfriend was at the home throughout the day.
The court also agreed to Miller's request to withdraw his attempt to dismiss Emily Moreno's attorney. Miller had expressed frustration over negative media reports stemming from their custody battle, including accusations that he dumped scalding water on her and a police report detailing a claim that Miller had previously held a gun to her head. Questions had also been raised regarding a broken collarbone and bruised shoulder their toddler sustained in February, with doctors noting what appeared to be a handprint bruise on the child's shoulder, according to a police report.
Miller has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. He was previously accused of abuse by his former partner, Stephanie Grisham, who served as White House press secretary during the first Trump administration. Miller had sued Grisham for defamation over those accusations but later dropped the case.
Abigail Angelos, a spokesperson for Miller's campaign, stated, "The facts speak for themselves: The court has continued to permit him joint custody of his child." She added, "Congressman Miller will continue to vigorously defend his reputation against false and reckless allegations designed to inflame public opinion rather than reflect reality. This narrative has gone on long enough."
Initially, a judge granted Miller a civil protection order against Moreno, but declined to do so for their daughter. Miller had publicly cited the protection order as vindication. However, last month, a judge overseeing their custody case partly granted Moreno's motion for a temporary restraining order against Miller. That order restricts both parties from disparaging each other in front of their child and from using social media or other electronic devices to harass or annoy the other.