Rep. Max Miller not dropping out after domestic abuse allegations
Source: www.axios.com ·
Section: politics ·
Bias: Center-Left
· Published: Sun, 02 Aug 2026 23:03:04 GMT
Ohio GOP Rep. Max Miller said Sunday he will stay in his reelection race, using a livestream on X to deny allegations he abused his ex-wife and their young daughter.Shortly after his announcement, his ex-father-in-law, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), denounced him as a "danger" to his daughter and unfit for office.Why it matters: The extraordinary public split between two Trump-aligned Ohio Republicans comes days before the state's deadline to replace Miller on the ballot with a special election — and will only fuel the controversy attached to a seat Democrats are targeting.What we're watching: A reporter asked President Trump aboard Air Force One Sunday whether he thought Miller should resign following the allegations."I'm gonna look at it," Trump said. "I mean, so far, it's accusations. I'll be looking at."What he's saying: "I'm not getting out of this race, and I'm winning in November," Miller said near the end of his livestream.Miller said no court or government agency has substantiated an abuse allegation against him and that he has never faced criminal charges related to the allegations.He said a child-welfare agency deemed two reports that he'd abused his daughter as unsubstantiated. One report recorded an "indicated" finding of physical abuse, meaning investigators saw signs of abuse but lacked sufficient evidence and didn't know who caused it. Miller also denied assaulting his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, who had said Miller threw hot water from a skillet and sprayed her with a sink hose during a 2024 argument. He acknowledged spraying her but denied the water was scalding. He said he did not intend to hurt her and called the incident "horseplay."The other side: Sen. Moreno issued a blistering denunciation shortly after the livestream, saying Miller's behavior had forced him to speak publicly after trying to protect his family's privacy."He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter," Moreno wrote on X."If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them," he added. "He should not serve in the House of Representatives."Stefan Mychajliw, a spokesperson for Emily Moreno, called the livestream a "bizarre and lie-filled rant" and accused Miller of using their daughter as a "PR pawn" to save his political career.Catch up quick: Emily Moreno, who divorced Miller last year, has accused him in court filings of hitting and threatening her. Miller denies the allegations and has sued her for defamation.In addition, Emily Moreno alleged their daughter's collarbone fractured while in her father's care, according to medical records. Miller denied causing the injury and argued the bruising resembled marks from a car-seat strap, per court documents.Police records show prosecutors didn't file charges after concluding there was "insufficient admissible evidence" to present to a grand jury. Miller previously faced abuse allegations from ex-girlfriend Stephanie Grisham, a former Trump White House press secretary. He also denied those claims and sued her for defamation before dropping the case as part of a 2023 settlement.Grisham sued Miller last month, arguing his recent public statements had violated the settlement's nondisparagement and confidentiality terms. The intrigue: Miller later responded to Sen. Moreno's statement by saying that if his daughter had made similar allegations, he would not have waited two years to act.He accused Sen. Moreno of " speaking out now … to hide from your own media circus."Miller also posted a curated packet of court, police and child-welfare records, along with selected screenshots and recordings. The documents repeatedly name his daughter and provide a home address for his ex-wife.Some records omit pages.Between the lines: Miller faces Democrat Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, in Ohio's 7th congressional district outside of Cleveland.Voters in the district backed President Trump by 11 percentage points in 2024, 10 points in 2020 and 12 points in 2016.What to watch: Wednesday is Ohio's deadline to trigger a special election to replace Miller on the ballot. Republicans could still fill a vacancy through a party committee but would have to certify a replacement by Aug. 10.If he withdraws after Aug. 10, Republicans can't replace Miller.One name floated by prominent Republicans as a potential replacement is former GOP state chair Jane Timken, a state senator with the capacity to self-fund a campaign.Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details throughout.
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