Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno publicly called for his former son-in-law, Rep. Max Miller, to resign from Congress Sunday — turning a bitter custody fight into a political weapon just days before Ohio's Wednesday deadline to replace Miller on the ballot, and handing Democrats fresh ammunition in a race the GOP can't afford to lose.
This isn't just a family feud anymore. With Democrats needing only a handful of seats to retake the House, a northeast Ohio district Trump carried by 11 points is suddenly in play — and the Republican incumbent's own father-in-law is leading the charge against him.
Moreno posted a lengthy statement on X Sunday morning declaring that Miller "should not serve in the House of Representatives" and needs "serious psychological help." The senator said he is afraid for his 2-year-old granddaughter when Miller has custody: "I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter." Moreno claimed he had hoped to keep the matter private but that Miller's "increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible."
Just last week, Moreno told NOTUS he "doesn't know" whether Miller should run for re-election. The Sunday statement was a dramatic escalation in timing that ensures maximum political damage.
Miller went live on X the same morning to deny the abuse allegations. "They frame me as an abuser," he said, insisting there is "no evidence" against him. "No court or agency has even substantiated any allegation against me. Every single one of these allegations were already investigated." Miller said he would release communications in a public Dropbox folder and that he has "nothing to hide." He also said he had nothing to do with his daughter's broken collarbone, which prompted Emily Moreno to contact authorities.
The allegations are serious and documented in court filings. Emily Moreno has said Miller scalded her with hot water, hit her, shoved her, and put a gun to her head. Secret audio from August 2024 captured her confronting Miller: "You poured steaming hot water on me, and you've also been emotionally abusive, and I have photos of me that my mom took at my house with me with scars on my neck." Miller acknowledged on the recording that he hurt her with the water but denied intent, according to the New York Post. Court documents reportedly show images of Emily with red marks on her body.
Miller was previously accused of abuse by former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and was arrested for drunk driving in college. He has filed defamation lawsuits against his ex-wife and Grisham.
The Post framed the story around Moreno "finally" acting after staying silent, while Fox News led with Miller's denial and emphasized the lack of substantiated findings. The AP and CNN kept it straight, noting the ballot deadline pressure and Democratic opportunism. All outlets noted that Democrats are now calling for Miller's resignation, requesting a congressional ethics investigation, and signaling more resources for union ironworker Brian Poindexter, Miller's Democratic opponent. A Democrat-sponsored poll in June showed Miller up just one point.
Miller married Emily Moreno in 2022 at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster and filed for divorce on their second anniversary in August 2024.
The question nobody in the establishment wants to answer: if these allegations have been public for years — and they have — why is the full weight of the GOP Senate caucus's most prominent new member landing on Miller right before the ballot deadline? Whether Moreno's concerns are genuine or not, the timing ensures that either Miller stays wounded heading into November or the party replaces him with someone more palatable to the old guard. Either way, the swamp wins.
