Ohio Rep. Max Miller denies abuse allegations, refuses to quit race as ex-father-in-law Sen. Moreno demands resignation

Representative Max Miller of Ohio used a livestream on Sunday to deny allegations that he abused his ex-wife and their toddler daughter, refusing to drop his re-election bid just days before the state's ballot deadline. His former father-in-law, Senator Bernie Moreno, immediately broke his silence to call Miller a danger and demand his resignation.

Livestream denial

Miller, seated in his kitchen and reading from a script, said no court or government agency has ever substantiated an abuse allegation against him and that he has never faced criminal charges. He dismissed the claim that he threw hot water from a skillet at Emily Moreno during a 2024 argument as "horseplay in our kitchen" with water that was not boiling. He also denied holding a gun to her head and rejected her accusation that he fractured their daughter's collarbone and bruised her shoulder, blaming the injuries on two day care workers. Miller contended that the credibility of her assertions was undermined by the fact that he still retains joint custody after years of court battles.

If these accusations were true, I would be in jail.

He also said his ex-wife has "significant mental health challenges." Near the end of the roughly 20-minute broadcast, Miller declared he was staying in the race.

I'm not getting out of this race, and I'm winning in November.

The allegations

Emily Moreno, who divorced Miller last year, has accused him in court filings of hitting and threatening her during their marriage. She claimed their daughter's collarbone broke and her shoulders were bruised while in Miller's custody. Miller denied causing the injury and argued that the bruising resembled marks from a seat belt, according to Mother Jones. A child-welfare agency deemed two reports that he had abused his daughter as unsubstantiated. Miller is suing his ex-wife and her attorney for defamation over the claims.

Moreno breaks silence

Until Sunday, Senator Moreno had said almost nothing publicly about the dispute. Minutes after Miller's livestream ended, he issued a blistering statement saying the congressman's behavior had forced him to speak after trying to protect his family's privacy. Moreno said the dispute has put his family through "pure hell" and that 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.

Moreno added that Miller fails any basic standards of character required for elected office and should not serve in the House of Representatives.

Political stakes

The public split between two Trump-aligned Ohio Republicans comes three days before the deadline to replace Miller on the ballot, effectively locking him in as the GOP nominee. Miller faces Democrat Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, in Ohio's 7th congressional district, based outside Cleveland. Internal Democratic polling shows Miller leading by just 1 percentage point in a district President Trump won by double digits in 2024.

Legal entanglements

Miller previously faced abuse allegations from ex-girlfriend Stephanie Grisham, a former Trump White House press secretary. He 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 violated the settlement's non-disparagement and confidentiality terms.