Ohio Representative Max Miller is facing allegations of breaching the conditions of a mutual restraining order with his ex-wife amid accusations of withholding crucial audio evidence from her legal team following an interview with The Post.
The Republican congressman engaged in an extensive discussion with The Post on Monday regarding abuse allegations made by his former spouse, Emily Moreno. This interview took place just hours after a judge imposed a mutual restraining order, which prohibits both parties from disparaging or harassing one another.
In a court filing on Friday, Moreno’s legal representatives argued that Rep. Miller should be compelled to justify why he should not be held in contempt and required to cover Moreno’s legal expenses after participating in the interview.
“To be clear, [Moreno] acknowledges that [Miller] is not restrained from talking to the media, nor is he restrained from defending himself. Those actions, by themselves, are not at issue,” her lawyers stated in the filing.
They further asserted, “What [Moreno] does object to is that [Miller] uses the media to harass, disparage, and abuse Defendant in contravention of this Court’s Restraining Orders, and does so [in] a very visible, very public manner. It must stop.”
Emily Moreno, daughter of Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno, married Miller in 2022. However, their marriage ended in divorce two years later.
They are currently embroiled in a nasty custody dispute involving their 2-year-old daughter, a legal battle that has featured accusations he dumped steaming hot water on Moreno and questions about their child’s broken collarbone.
Miller addressed the controversy in his Post interview, his first published sit-down about it.
After the interview, Miller also spoke with Spectrum News 1 and other outlets.
“Congressman Miller is defending himself against false allegations that have damaged his reputation and continue to cause harm,” Miller’s rep, Chris Vlasto, told The Post, “He is not going to sit back while Emily Moreno and her attorney make claims he believes are untrue and defamatory.
“Any assertion that Congressman Miller violated a non-disparagement agreement is simply the characterization of Ms. Moreno’s counsel, and he strongly disputes it,” the representative said. “Congressman Miller will continue to defend himself and pursue the appropriate legal remedies.”
Emily’s lawyers also have cited Miller’s interview as a reason to throw out his defamation suit against her. Miller sued her after the Daily Mail reported accusations that he dumped hot water on her back June 9, 2024.
Miller’s team shared audio with The Post saying it was of a conversation he had with Emily weeks after the alleged incident in which he privately addressed her accusations.
“First of all, the water incident — which I have the text messages from that we have, even following up after that, I never thought that — that hurt you, and you know that,” Miller said to her in the audio.
“If you want to accuse me of abuse by showing photos and no video evidence of something that I wasn’t even being abusive for, by all means, go ahead and do that.”
Emily’s lawyers are arguing that the audio showed Miller giving her permission to lob the accusations.
On Friday, Emily’s lawyers filed a motion to compel Miller to turn over that audio, arguing that The Post’s story proved the congressman had not complied with discovery requests.
