(WASHINGTON) — Ohio congressman Max Miller is denying allegations of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife.
Police reports obtained by ABC News show that Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno, alleged multiple incidents of physical violence during their marriage and divorce proceedings. The allegations come amid Miller’s reelection bid for what is seen as a safe Republican seat and have led to calls from some Democratic members of Congress for an ethics investigation and resignation.
Miller, a former Trump White House aide, was married to Emily Moreno from 2022 to 2024 and the two have one child, a 2-year-old daughter. The couple married at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate at a ceremony that included a toast by President Donald Trump.
In the police 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. According to the police report, Moreno also recounts her child telling her “Daddy kill you.”
Additionally, the report shows Moreno told the police that her daughter received physical injuries while in Miller’s care.
Miller, who represents Ohio’s 7th District, was never charged with a crime and the Department of Children and Family Services did not find evidence to substantiate allegations of child abuse, according to records released in court filings.
Miller denies abusing his wife or daughter. In a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, he has argued that this is a “repeated pattern” of false accusations by his wife meant “to ruin my reputation, gain an edge in custody and litigation matters, and seek revenge.”
Prior allegations against Miller
This is not the first time Miller has been accused of violence against women. Former White House press Secretary Stephanie Grisham alleged in her 2021 memoir that she had been physically abused by her partner while working at the White House.
She later identified that man as Miller in a Washington Post op-ed. She claims that she told White House officials at the time about the alleged abuse and they failed to take action.
The White House declined to comment on allegations of abuse by Miller towards Grisham or Moreno.
Miller’s office directed ABC News to Miller’s past social media posts denying the alleged abuse and attacking past reporting on the case.
Miller denied Grisham’s allegations and sued her for defamation while running for Congress in 2023. They reached a confidential settlement. Grisham is now suing Miller for violating the terms of their settlement by discussing the case in his denials of the allegations by Moreno.
Lawyers for Emily Moreno on Thursday applied for a restraining order against Miller, citing “harassment and threats” by the congressman against the legal team.
Lawyers for Moreno have not replied to requests for comment.
Miller has gone after his Republican colleague and ex-father in law Sen. Bernie Moreno publicly, posting on X in May: “It is unfortunate that @berniemoreno continues to fund and enable his daughter’s malicious campaign to ruin my life despite his knowledge of her mental health issues. Bernie, this must be distracting from your job. These antics harm your own grandchild. Anytime you want to put a stop to this, you can.”
A spokesperson for the senator told The Washington Post that Moreno’s “top priority is the safety and well-being of his daughter and granddaughter.” The statement added: “While he does not litigate these matters in the media or respond to baseless public attacks, he will do whatever it takes to ensure a just outcome for his family.”
Miller is facing off against Democrat Brian Poindexter, a union iron worker, in November. Poindexter’s campaign did not respond to ABC’s requests for comment.
Last month, Cook Political Report changed the race’s ranking from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican” shortly after internal polling found Democratic challenger Poindexter trailing Miller by just one point.
Miller won the district with only 51% of the vote in 2024, largely due to a credible third party candidate. Trump won the district with 55% of the vote in 2024.
While his opponent has not made the allegations against Miller central to his campaign as of yet, outside groups have stepped in to elevate the accusations.
The pro-labor Battleground Alliance PAC conducted robocalls to roughly 100,000 households last month recounting Moreno and Grisham’s claims. A spokesperson for the PAC did not reply to ABC News’ requests for comment.
The Republican National Congressional Committee declined to comment on the specific allegations against Miller and as a rule does not comment on spending decisions.
The House Majority PAC, which helps elect Democrats, told ABC it is “willing to do whatever it takes to take back the House, and nothing is off the table. Democrats are expanding the map deeper into Trump territory by the day, and Brian Poindexter will defeat the scandal plagued Max Miller.”
They did not specifically respond to a question about planned spending to support Poindexter in that race.
‘Troubling accusations’ and calls for investigation
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was asked about the allegations on Thursday by ABC”s Cleveland affiliate and said that they were “troubling accusations” and that “people of the district are having to weigh the facts.”
Ohio Democratic Rep. Shontel Brown, who represents the neighboring 11th District, called on Miller to resign.
Miller is hardly the only member of Congress to attract attention for allegations of misconduct towards women this year alone. Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales departed congress this year amid allegations of misconduct with aides.
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., remains under a House ethics investigation for a range of allegations, including domestic violence by a former partner. He denies all allegations of misconduct.
House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked about the allegations against Miller and Mills at a press conference last week and said: “Well, the key word there is allegation. We have a process here. The House Ethics Committee works on those things. If allegations are made, they work through a process. So I I’m not in the business of commenting on investigations as they as they’re in process, and we’ll see how that shakes out.”
At least one member of Congress has called for an ethics investigation into Miller. Democratic Congressman Sam Liccardo of California posted on X: “Allegations that Max Miller abused his wife and child demand an immediate House Ethics Committee investigation. Congress must never serve as a safe harbor for abusers.”
The House Ethics Committee declined to comment on the allegations against Miller and whether there is an active investigation by the committee into his conduct.
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