Moreno says Max Miller should leave Congress amid abuse claims

Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio publicly called Sunday for Rep. Max Miller, his former son-in-law, to step down from Congress, breaking from his earlier reluctance to weigh in directly on abuse allegations involving Moreno’s daughter and granddaughter.

“If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them,” Moreno wrote on X. “He should not serve in the House of Representatives.”

Moreno’s statement came hours after Miller, a second-term Ohio Republican, denied allegations of domestic and child abuse in a livestream and said he would remain in his reelection race. Wednesday is the deadline to replace him on the ballot.

“I’m not dropping out of this race, and I’ll win in November,” Miller said in the video, according to Al Jazeera. He also said: “Just want to be clear: no court, no agency has ever substantiated any allegation of abuse against me. No criminal charge has ever been filed against me.”

Miller’s campaign has come under scrutiny in recent weeks as allegations involving his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, and their young daughter have surfaced in legal filings, court papers and police reports. Emily Moreno, a conservative policy adviser and the senator’s daughter, was married to Miller between 2022 and 2025, according to CBS News. The former couple shares a two-year-old daughter and has been in a custody dispute since 2024. CBS News reported that Miller and Emily Moreno have court-ordered restraining orders against each other.

Emily Moreno has accused Miller of throwing hot water at her in 2024, pointing a gun at her last year and throwing her against a wall during a February custody exchange. CBS News reported that she also alleged Miller caused their daughter to suffer a clavicle fracture and a handprint-shaped bruise. The Guardian reported that Emily Moreno testified earlier this year, in connection with a defamation lawsuit Miller filed against her, that he “took hot water from a pan he had just cooked eggs in and threw it at me.”

Miller has denied the allegations made by Emily Moreno and by former girlfriend Stephanie Grisham, the former White House press secretary. He has sued Emily Moreno for defamation and has accused her of defaming him and abusing their child herself, according to CBS News. In Sunday’s livestream, Miller said the accusations were politically and legally timed, alleging a pattern of “serious and destructive allegations with absolutely no evidence.”

“These are incredibly serious criminal accusations, and if these accusations were true, I would be in jail,” Miller said, according to CBS News. He pointed to an April letter from county investigators closing a probe into whether he physically abused his daughter in February, calling the allegation “unsubstantiated.” Al Jazeera reported that a spokesperson for Miller last spring provided The Associated Press with documentation showing several allegations that he had abused his daughter had been investigated by the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services and deemed unsubstantiated.

Stefan Mychajliw, a spokesperson for Emily Moreno, called Miller’s video “shameful” and “lie-filled.”

“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,” Mychajliw said. “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.”

Moreno said Sunday that he had hoped to keep the matter private, but that Miller’s “increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible.” He described the past two years as “pure hell” for his family and said it had been “horrific” to watch the dispute unfold publicly “all while knowing an innocent two-year-old girl is caught in the middle.”

“I believe Max Miller needs to seek professional help to end the clear pattern of abuse he has left in his wake,” Moreno wrote. “I believe he should not be free to continue endangering others until he does.”

Miller responded on X, saying, “If my daughter said the same thing to me, I personally wouldn’t wait two years before holding him accountable.” He added: “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.”

Democrats have called for Miller to resign and for an ethics investigation, according to Al Jazeera. The race in Ohio’s 7th Congressional District has drawn attention as Democrats view the seat as a possible pickup, while Republicans have largely remained silent so far.