Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, stated Sunday that his former son-in-law, Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, "should not serve in the House" due to allegations of domestic abuse. The accusations were made by Emily Moreno, Miller's ex-wife and Bernie Moreno's daughter.
Moreno expressed his views in a post on X, formerly Twitter, writing, "If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them." He added that he had "hoped to keep this matter private but Max Miller's increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible."
Rep. Miller, who is running for reelection in Ohio's 7th Congressional District, has denied the allegations and has sued his ex-wife for defamation. In response to Sen. Moreno's statement, Miller suggested the timing was politically motivated, writing 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."
Police reports obtained by ABC News detail Emily Moreno's allegations of multiple incidents of physical violence during their marriage and divorce proceedings. According to the reports, Moreno told police officers that Miller "threw her against the wall, which resulted in an obvious grab mark on her upper arm" and had previously "held a gun to her head" and threw hot water on her. The report also states that Moreno recounted her child telling her "Daddy kill you."
Furthermore, the police report indicates Moreno told officers that her daughter sustained physical injuries while in Miller's care. Miller denies these accusations. In his defamation lawsuit, he has argued that these are part of a "repeated pattern" of false accusations by his wife intended "to ruin my reputation, gain an edge in custody and litigation matters, and seek revenge."
Miller was never charged with a crime. Records released in court filings show that the Department of Children and Family Services did not find evidence to substantiate allegations of child abuse.
Miller's office, in response to questions about Emily Moreno's allegations, referred ABC News to a past social media post stating, "The facts speak for themselves: the court has continued to permit him joint custody of his child. If there were credible evidence supporting these outrageous accusations, that simply would not be the case. 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."
Earlier Sunday, Miller addressed the allegations in a live X video, denying them and vowing to remain in his race. He stated the election is about "my family and about our daughter and keeping our values here and holding the media and other individuals accountable who have been incredibly reckless."
Rep. Miller, a former Trump White House aide, was married to Emily Moreno from 2022 to 2024. They share a 2-year-old daughter.
Separately, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham alleged in her 2021 memoir that she had been physically abused by a partner while working at the White House, later identifying Miller in an op-ed. Grisham claimed she informed White House officials at the time, who she stated failed to act. In July, Grisham sued Miller, alleging he violated their settlement agreement by discussing their case in his denials of Moreno's allegations.
The White House declined to comment on allegations of abuse involving Miller and Grisham or Moreno.