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By Joe Edwards
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Representative Max Miller and Senator Bernie Moreno, both Ohio Republicans, traded social media attacks over the weekend amid abuse allegations brought against Miller by his ex-wife, who is Moreno's daughter.
Miller, a two-term congressman who represents Ohio’s 7th District and is seeking reelection, has been involved in an acrimonious legal dispute with his ex-wife, Emily Moreno. He has denied allegations that he abused Emily Moreno or their young daughter. He has not been charged with a crime in connection to the allegations.
Posting to X on Sunday, Senator Moreno accused Miller of "increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior."
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"As he has admitted privately, Max Miller needs serious psychological help. He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter," he said.
Responding to the post, Miller wrote: "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."
On Thursday, Moreno, the daughter of Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, sought a restraining order to prevent Miller from contacting her legal team.
In court filings, Moreno alleged that Miller had harassed and physically grabbed members of her legal team following court hearings in their ongoing custody dispute. Miller has denied wrongdoing, pointing to his continued joint custody of his daughter as evidence that the claims are contested in court.
In a statement provided to Newsweek on Monday, Miller said: "I have never [spoken] publicly about Senator Moreno until he made defamatory and false statements about me. I have had several private conversations with him about his daughter’s mental health, and he knows that what she is alleging is not true. I am not concerned with him and his need to churn the rumor mill right now. I am speaking up to set the record straight about my family."
Newsweek reached out to Senator Bernie Moreno's office for additional comment via email on Monday, outside of regular office hours.
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'Last Two Years Have Been Pure Hell’
In the Sunday post, Senator Moreno wrote that the last two years had been "pure hell for my wife Bridget, our daughter Emily, me, and our entire family in the aftermath of Emily's divorce.
"It has been horrific to watch this play out in full public view, all while knowing an innocent two-year-old girl is caught in the middle. Our priority has always been protecting our daughter and our granddaughter. Out of concern for the safety of my family, I hoped to keep this matter private but Max Miller’s increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible."
He added: "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. I believe Max Miller needs to seek professional help to end the clear pattern of abuse he has left in his wake. I believe he should not be free to continue endangering others until he does."
Police reports and court records outline broader allegations, including claims that Miller pushed Moreno against a wall, held a gun to her head, and threw hot water at her. Moreno also alleged that their daughter was injured while in Miller’s care. ABC News, citing records released in court filings, reported that child welfare officials did not substantiate allegations of child abuse and that Miller was not charged with a crime. Miller has consistently denied abusing Moreno or their daughter.
In May, Miller filed a defamation lawsuit against Moreno, alleging that she and her legal team spread false claims that damaged his reputation and reelection prospects. He is seeking damages and accused Moreno of waging a campaign to portray him as "a violent and abusive husband and father." Moreno’s legal representation has rejected that characterization of the dispute.
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Democrats see an opportunity in a district Miller won two years ago with just over 51 percent of the vote, with some Democratic lawmakers calling for his resignation or an ethics investigation. While Republican leaders have largely stood by him, advisers to Trump are monitoring the situation.
Miller Strongly Rejects Accusations
On Sunday, Miller forcefully denied allegations of abuse made by his ex-wife and vowed to remain in his reelection campaign, pushing back against mounting scrutiny.
" I've been portrayed as an abusive husband, an abusive father, and a violent man. Those allegations have damaged my reputation, caused enormous pain to my family, and most importantly, it's affected our daughter," the congressman said in a Sunday livestream on X.
Later in the livestream, he said winning in November wasn't just about the Republican Party but also about his family "and keeping our values here and holding the media and other individuals accountable who have been incredibly reckless."
"I'm not getting out of this race, and I'm winning in November," Miller, a former White House aide under President Donald Trump, said.
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During his livestream, Miller attributed the allegations to his former wife amid their divorce and custody proceedings, emphasizing that "no court" and "no agency" had substantiated any claim of abuse against him, and noting that no criminal charges had been filed.
Miller stated that Child Protective Services investigated allegations regarding his daughter on multiple occasions and closed them as unsubstantiated as to him. He noted that the inquiries involved reports of physical abuse, a broken collarbone, and a hospital visit prompted by what his former wife suspected was bruising. Miller said he cooperated fully with each investigation.
He also cited testimony from a court-appointed parenting coordinator—a psychologist and mandatory reporter—who stated in a sworn deposition in May that she was not convinced he had abused his former wife or child and had never reported that anyone, including Miller, had harmed their daughter. Miller argued that his shared custody arrangement undermines the allegations.
Addressing the domestic abuse claims, Miller said he "categorically" denied abusing his former wife.
He specifically denied allegations that he threw boiling water on Moreno or held a gun to her head. Miller described the water incident as "horseplay" involving water "which does not reach boiling temperature or scalding" from a kitchen sink sprayer, adding that Moreno did not seek medical treatment. He maintained that the gun allegation "never happened and is absolutely outrageous."
He further noted that a court granted him a domestic violence protection order following an ex parte hearing.
Miller also stated that Moreno had struggled with mental health issues, adding that he was not raising the point to attack her. He said he hoped she received support and noted that the public dispute had been "painful" for their daughter, who "didn't ask for any of the media scrutinization of her family."
Additionally, Miller posted a collection of documents "produced by my personal attorneys" regarding the abuse allegations and related litigation, inviting the public to review them.
"When adverse parties in litigation are setting themselves on fire, I do not provide them with a fire extinguisher," Subodh Chandra, Emily Moreno's attorney, told Newsweek on Sunday.
Chandra also provided a statement from Moreno’s spokesperson Stefan Mychajliw:
"It is shameful that Max Miller decided to go on a bizarre and lie-filled rant about his ex-wife to desperately try to save his political career.
"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. It is despicable and abhorrent that Miller lied on an unhinged and humiliating video for their daughter to watch one day.
"No loving parent would have ever used their daughter as a PR pawn to save their own political career. 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."
A Surprisingly Close Poll
While the allegations have generated headlines, the political question is whether they are affecting Miller's standing with voters.
A survey highlighted by the Ohio Democratic Party on June 23 found Miller and Democratic nominee Brian Poindexter effectively tied. The poll showed Miller receiving 44 percent support compared with 43 percent for Poindexter.
According to the polling data, Poindexter held a 17-point advantage among self-described independents.
The survey was conducted by GBAO, a Democratic polling firm, between June 18 and June 20 among 500 likely voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
That means Miller's one-point lead falls within the poll's margin of error, making the race statistically tied.
Earlier this summer, Cook Political Report moved Ohio's 7th Congressional District from "Solid Republican" to "Likely Republican," signaling that respected election analysts consider the race more competitive than previously believed.
Update 08/04/26, 10:40 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Max Miller.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes, Tony Phillips and Anthony Murray.
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