Ohio gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy appears to be standing by Republican Rep. Max Miller, who is facing domestic abuse allegations, according to leaked audio obtained by HuffPost.
Ramaswamy was recorded discussing Miller with a rally attendee in Columbus on August 22. In the recording, the attendee thanked Ramaswamy for supporting Miller, to which Ramaswamy replied, "I'm supporting everyone up and down the ticket."
When asked if he would campaign with Miller, Ramaswamy shifted the conversation to the importance of Republican control in Washington and Ohio, stating, "Look, my view is this is the most important election for preserving Republican control of the House, the Senate, and also protecting the Republican control of the state. If we compromise that, we're done."
The comments come after weeks of public silence from Ramaswamy regarding the controversy surrounding Miller. Ramaswamy is in a competitive race for Ohio's open gubernatorial seat against Democrat Amy Acton.
Miller has faced allegations from his former wife, Emily Moreno, who has accused him of domestic and child abuse. Her allegations include claims that he threw boiling water at her, held a gun to her head, and threw her against a wall. Miller has denied these accusations.
Moreno has also expressed concerns about their young daughter's safety, alleging the child suffered bruising while in Miller's care and may have sustained a fractured collarbone. Miller has also disputed these claims.
The congressman is also under review by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of domestic violence, abuse, or illegal drug use.
Ramaswamy's campaign continues to list Miller as an endorser on its official endorsements page. The Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, has criticized Ramaswamy for his association with Miller.
The deadline for Miller to withdraw from the November ballot and allow Republicans to replace him passed on August 10. The controversy has put the Republican Party in a difficult political position as the allegations and court battle continue.
In a separate development, Miller's Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter, is seeking to capitalize on the controversy. As of August 27, Decision Desk HQ gives Miller a narrow 52 percent chance of winning compared with 48 percent for Poindexter. The governor's race itself is also described as close, with one poll showing Acton at 47.5 percent and Ramaswamy at 48 percent.