WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno said Sunday that his former son-in-law, U.S. Rep. Max Miller, is unfit to serve in Congress and should “seek professional help,” as Miller used a live video on X to defend himself against domestic abuse allegations.
Moreno, who had largely avoided public comment in recent months while a contentious custody fight unfolded between Miller and Moreno’s daughter, Emily, issued a lengthy statement sharpening his criticism. “If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them,” he wrote. “He should not serve in the House of Representatives.”
In the same post, Moreno said Miller “needs serious psychological help,” adding, “He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter.”
Miller said Sunday he intends to stay in the race for reelection, speaking ahead of a Wednesday deadline to replace him on the ballot. Democrats have viewed the northeast Ohio congressional district as a fresh opening as the Republican incumbent faces intensifying pressure tied to domestic abuse allegations that have surfaced during a prolonged and bitter custody dispute with his ex-wife.
“I’m not dropping out of this race and I’ll win in November,” said Miller, who denied abusing his former wife and his daughter.
Custody dispute has escalated in recent weeks
The allegations against Miller, a Trump-endorsed Republican who served as a White House adviser during President Donald Trump’s first term, have been publicly known for years. They have drawn renewed attention recently as the custody case has grown more contentious.
Emily Moreno has alleged that Miller scalded, struck and threatened her during their marriage. Miller again rejected those claims in Sunday’s video, consistent with his previous denials.
“It’s incredibly upsetting,” Miller said as he addressed the accusations one by one.
Miller also said he had nothing to do with a broken collarbone on their 2-year-old daughter that led Emily Moreno to contact authorities. The pair, who were married in 2022 and finalized their divorce last year, have presented different theories about how the injury occurred, according to court filings and police reports detailed in an article in the magazine Mother Jones that first revealed the child’s injury.
Miller accompanied his announcement with the release of a voluminous cache of investigative and court documents related to the custody dispute.
Spokesperson for Miller’s ex wife says video was ‘shameful’
A spokesperson for Emily Moreno, Stefan Mychajliw, said Sunday that the video was “shameful.”
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“No loving parent would have ever used their daughter as a PR pawn to save their own political career,” Mychajliw said. “Miller can lie and spin on X, but he cannot do so under oath in a court of law. We are confident that justice will prevail in court.”
Sen. Bernie Moreno’s statement on Sunday came after he had declined to comment on the specific allegations for months. Last week, a spokeswoman issued a statement saying the senator “will not litigate these matters in the media or respond to baseless public attacks.”
“Senator Moreno’s top priority is the safety and well-being of his daughter and granddaughter,” said the spokeswoman, Reagan McCarthy.
Potential GOP candidates eye Miller’s seat
The senator’s statement was prompting some hand-wringing behind the scenes in his home state, where Trump-endorsed candidates like Miller typically win with ease. The White House did not respond to a request for comment Sunday.
Miller’s Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter, said no one facing such accusations “belongs in the halls of power.”
State Rep. Mike Dovilla, a U.S. Navy veteran and former presidential appointee to the Office of Personnel Management, and Kevin Coughlin, a former state senator and representative who ran for the U.S. House in 2024 and 2026, were among Republicans whose names were being floated should Miller drop his fall House bid, according to a high-ranking Republican who discussed the sensitive subject on condition of anonymity.
Democrats have recently called on Miller to resign, requested a congressional ethics investigation and suggested more help could be directed in the fall toward his Democratic opponent, union ironworker Brian Poindexter.
Miller won reelection two years ago with just over 51% of the vote.
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Smyth reported from Columbus, Ohio.
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