Ohio Rep. Max Miller requests ethics probe of himself as abuse allegations roil GOP

The allegations and the ethics probe

Max Miller's ex-wife, Emily Moreno, has accused him, in court filings and police reports arising from their custody dispute, of throwing her against a wall, throwing scalding water on her and holding a gun to her head. Medical records filed in the same dispute record injuries to their two-year-old daughter, including a broken collarbone that Moreno says happened while the child was in Miller's care. Miller, a Republican representing Ohio's 7th Congressional District, denies all of it, describing the scalding incident as horseplay, and sued his ex-wife for defamation in May. He has never been charged with a crime, and the Department of Children and Family Services did not find evidence substantiating the allegations of child abuse, according to court filings. In a livestream on X at the weekend he said: "I have never abused our daughter. No court, no agency, has ever substantiated any allegation of abuse against me. No criminal charge has ever been filed against me." On Tuesday, he announced he would voluntarily submit to a House ethics investigation, writing on X that he has "absolutely nothing to hide" and would provide all necessary documents. The panel said it was investigating whether Miller "may have engaged in domestic violence and abuse or illegal drug use in violation of the Code of Official Conduct". The drug allegations surfaced through the recordings Miller himself released: in one, Emily Moreno says she believes he has a drug problem and found needles by his bed, which he denied to her, and in a transcript Miller says he was injecting testosterone.

“I have absolutely nothing to hide. We will be providing the committee all necessary documents needed for a detail examination.”

Political pressure and ballot deadlines

The scandal threatens a Republican-held seat that Democrats are targeting in November's midterm elections. President Trump called Miller on Monday to say "things aren't looking good" for his campaign but stopped short of asking him to drop out. Trump publicly described the situation as "a very sad thing" and said he would let the families figure it out. If Miller resigns by the end of Tuesday, a special primary would be held; otherwise, state law requires him to step down by Friday for party chairs to pick a replacement by Monday, August 10. Miller has insisted he will stay in the race.

“It's a very sad thing. I know Max; he's a good person. I mean, I always thought he was a very good person, and I'm going to let the families figure that out.”

Family feud spills into public

Senator Bernie Moreno, Miller's former father-in-law, broke months of silence on Sunday, calling Miller "a danger" to his daughter and saying he fails basic standards of character. On Tuesday, Moreno told reporters his daughter "lives in constant fear of this man" and described the experience as "the seventh level of hell." He also condemned Miller over a folder that Miller shared inadvertently while publishing the audio recordings, which contained images of their daughter, one of which appears to show her genitals. Emily Moreno's lawyers said that image "could be considered Child Sexual Abuse Material". Miller's lawyer called the release a mistake.

“She fears what this guy is capable of. I hope you never have to understand what my daughter's been through. This is truly the seventh level of hell.”

Republican senators side with Moreno

Several GOP senators publicly backed Moreno. Roger Marshall said Miller "should resign," Shelley Moore Capito said she supports Moreno's call, and Lisa Murkowski called the accusations "very serious." Rick Scott, Jim Justice, and Cynthia Lummis also expressed trust in Moreno. The growing pressure from within his own party adds to the urgency for Miller to exit the race.

“He should resign. He should quit. I don't know Mr. Miller's story, but I trust Bernie so much as a good friend, and his family has such high values.”

Other legal entanglements

Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham filed for a temporary restraining order against Miller, alleging he violated a settlement that barred both from making disparaging statements. Grisham had written about an abusive ex-boyfriend in the Trump administration, and Miller sued her for defamation before the settlement.