Republican Congressman Max Miller went live on Sunday morning to deny allegations that he abused his ex-wife and their young daughter, but his own former father-in-law, a sitting GOP senator, fired back within the hour.
Miller, who represents an Ohio congressional district, read from a prepared script during the broadcast, calling the accusations made by his ex-wife Emily Moreno "incredibly serious criminal accusations" and flatly rejecting every one of them. His political team simultaneously released a package of documents, photographs, and videos through a Dropbox link that Miller said would address all claims against him.
The congressman's decision to dig in comes as pressure mounts from both sides of the aisle, and from inside his own family. Emily Moreno, 32, is the daughter of Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno. The senator posted a lengthy statement on X roughly one hour after Miller's broadcast, calling his former son-in-law "a danger to my daughter" and demanding he leave Congress.
During the livestream, Miller addressed the child abuse allegation first, calling it "the most painful accusation of all." The Daily Mail reported that Miller told viewers plainly:
"Let me begin with the most painful accusation of all, I have never abused our daughter."
He then turned to the domestic abuse claims involving Emily Moreno.
"I also want to address the allegations of domestic abuse. I categorically deny abusing my former wife."
Miller framed his defense around the absence of criminal charges. "If these accusations were true, I would be in jail. I would be," he said. He also claimed on X that the documents his team released were "produced by my personal attorneys and paid for by me directly." The Dropbox link was briefly taken offline after the broadcast, though no explanation was given for the interruption.
On the question of his political future, Miller left no ambiguity. "I'm not getting out of this race, and I'm winning in November, and I'll be back in 120th," he said, a reference to the next session of Congress. Fox News reported that a Wednesday deadline looms for the Republican Party to replace Miller on the November ballot if he were to step aside, adding urgency to the standoff.
The accusations against Miller did not begin with Emily Moreno. In 2020, Politico reported that Miller's previous partner, former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, alleged he pushed her against a wall and slapped her after she accused him of cheating. Grisham later wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post in October 2021, claiming the Trumps "didn't seem to care" when she told them the relationship had turned what she called "abusive."
Miller filed a libel suit against Grisham in 2021. The case was dismissed with prejudice before reaching a jury trial, meaning it cannot be refiled.
Emily Moreno's allegations are more recent and, if substantiated, more severe. She has accused Miller of grabbing and striking her during a custody exchange at his Ohio home on February 1 of this year, leaving bruises on her arm, elbow, and torso. Their two-year-old daughter was present. Photos published exclusively by the Daily Mail showed Moreno's injuries, with additional images taken the following day. In a congressional body already riven by internal Republican divisions, Miller's refusal to step aside adds another layer of complication for House GOP leadership.
A separate incident allegedly occurred on June 9, 2024, when the couple's daughter was roughly eight months old. Multiple sources with direct knowledge told the Daily Mail that Miller hurled a pot of boiling water at Emily Moreno during an argument inside their Ohio home, with some water striking her chest. The child was present. Miller acknowledged the incident during his livestream but disputed the characterization. He said the marks were not burns and described the episode as "horseplay" involving hot water that he sprayed on her.
The New York Post reported that Emily Moreno has also accused Miller of holding a gun to her head and of causing their daughter's broken collarbone, allegations Miller denies. The daughter also suffered a bruised shoulder, according to reports that surfaced in April.
Bay Village police, in a suburb west of Cleveland, opened an investigation into suspected child abuse involving the couple's daughter after reports surfaced in April. The Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services launched a separate investigation triggered by the child's injuries, according to TMZ.
Miller filed a court document on March 13 claiming he was "apparently cleared" by authorities. But prior reporting noted the police investigation is technically still listed as active, a gap Miller's livestream did not close. No charges have been announced.
Emily Moreno filed a custody motion on March 4, demanding a change in the arrangement and accusing Miller of "dangerous physical behavior in the child's presence." In the filing, she wrote:
"I do not believe it is in our child's best interest for [Max] and me to jointly make a decision for her. I fear that attempting to make joint decisions, and the lack of cooperation from [Max] in doing so, will cause direct harm to [their child]."
Just The News reported that Moreno also filed a restraining order against Miller on July 30, alleging he harassed and physically touched her legal counsel. A judge separately dismissed a domestic violence case Miller had filed against Moreno, a case Miller had moved to drop in May.
During the livestream, Miller raised questions about Emily Moreno's mental fitness, saying she "has struggled with significant mental health challenges" and that "this is medically diagnosed." He added: "I'm not raising that to embarrass her to attack her. She's the mother of my daughter, and I sincerely hope she receives every bit of care and support that she needs." The tensions between House Republicans over personal conduct and party loyalty echo broader internal conflicts that have defined the current Congress.
Miller also addressed a specific incident involving fingerpainting. He said that in mid-July, he and his daughter had been painting together, and he sent photographs to Moreno showing the activity. Emily Moreno had emailed asking why their daughter Ruth appeared to have something on "her hair/neck." Miller said Moreno then took the child to the emergency room, an action he framed as an overreaction.
One video included in Miller's document release showed the February 1 custody exchange. The footage "appears to show Moreno leaving Miller's residence with their daughter in tow in a calm manner," the Daily Mail reported. Miller pointed to the video as evidence undermining the claim that a violent assault occurred during the handoff.
Senator Bernie Moreno's response arrived on X roughly an hour after his former son-in-law's broadcast. The GOP senator did not hold back:
"As he has admitted privately, Max 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 went further, calling for Miller's removal from Congress entirely. Breitbart reported the full scope of the senator's statement, in which he said Miller "should not serve in the House of Representatives" and urged him to "seek professional help to end the clear pattern of abuse he has left in his wake."
The senator added a line that went beyond a political call for resignation: "I believe he should not be free to continue endangering others until he does." That language, from a sitting Republican senator about a sitting Republican congressman, and about a member of his own family, carries weight that ordinary political feuds do not. When members of Congress face questions about accountability and standards of conduct, the public rightly expects clear answers.
Reuters reported that President Trump, asked about the situation, offered a measured response: "I mean, so far it's accusations. I'll be looking at it."
An unnamed senior insider who spoke to the Daily Mail in May offered a blunter assessment of how Miller handles scrutiny: "He's a rich boy. So anytime anyone speaks out, he uses litigation and the expenses that come with it to keep them quiet."
What the public knows right now is this: two women, in two separate relationships, have accused Max Miller of physical violence. A police investigation into suspected child abuse remains open. A county child welfare agency investigated the couple's daughter's injuries. Emily Moreno filed for changed custody and a restraining order. Miller has denied everything, released documents he says prove his innocence, and vowed to stay in the race. In a House where individual members regularly stake out defiant positions, Miller's refusal to yield fits a pattern, though the stakes here are personal, not legislative.
No court and no agency has publicly confirmed or denied the substance of the abuse claims. Miller says that silence proves his innocence. His accusers and his former father-in-law say it proves nothing of the kind.
Wednesday's ballot deadline will force the Ohio GOP's hand one way or another. If Miller stays, Republicans run a candidate whose own family is publicly calling him dangerous. If he goes, they scramble for a replacement in a race that was already competitive.
Voters deserve representatives whose conduct can withstand daylight, and right now, Max Miller is asking Ohio to take his word for it while the evidence remains unresolved.