{"id":797692,"date":"2026-08-01T16:31:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T16:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/797692\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T16:31:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T16:31:11","slug":"abuse-allegations-could-make-ohio-rep-max-miller-vulnerable-in-midterms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/797692\/","title":{"rendered":"Abuse allegations could make Ohio Rep. Max Miller vulnerable in midterms"},"content":{"rendered":"

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) \u2014 Faced with a narrow path to winning control<\/a> of the U.S. House, Democrats are seeing fresh opportunity in a northeast Ohio congressional seat where the Republican incumbent is facing mounting pressure over domestic abuse allegations in a bitter and drawn-out dispute<\/a> with his ex-wife.<\/p>\n

Allegations against U.S. Rep. Max Miller, a White House adviser during President Donald Trump\u2019s first term, have been public<\/a> for years but have recently drawn increased media scrutiny amid an escalating legal back-and-forth with his former spouse, who is the daughter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. That has Democrats sensing Miller could be vulnerable in a district he won two years ago with just over 51% of the vote.<\/p>\n

Over the past week, they have called for 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 has denied the abuse allegations and filed defamation lawsuits against his ex-wife and a second accuser.<\/p>\n

The House Majority PAC, a super political action committee aimed at electing a Democratic majority, said it is monitoring the race\u2019s dynamics as part of its strategy to push deeper into GOP territory in this year\u2019s midterm elections.<\/p>\n

\u201cHMP is willing to do whatever it takes to take back the House, and nothing is off the table,\u201d spokesperson CJ Warnke said.<\/p>\n

Republicans stick by Miller<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Rep.-elect<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

as Trump advisers keep tabs on the situation<\/p>\n

Republicans have so far remained in Miller\u2019s corner, saying he has delivered for his district and is electable in November.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the difficulties that Miller faces have not escaped the attention of the president\u2019s inner circle as they work to retain GOP control on Capitol Hill. Trump\u2019s closest advisers are actively monitoring the situation, according to a Republican with knowledge of White House discussions who requested anonymity to discuss the politically sensitive matter.<\/p>\n

The deadline for replacing Miller on the ballot is Wednesday, though no Republican has publicly pushed to take that step. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine told Ohio\u2019s Capital Journal that the accusations were troubling and \u201cvery serious\u201d but that Miller\u2019s fate should be up to voters.<\/p>\n

The tension comes Republicans are defending their narrow majority in the U.S. House in the November races.<\/p>\n

Terry Casey, a longtime Republican consultant in Ohio, said Miller remains in a strong position to win the Republican-leaning district, which stretches south from Cleveland and was won decisively by Trump two years ago.<\/p>\n

That is unless Poindexter, who has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, can attract money significant enough to step up his advertising in the 7th Congressional District\u2019s multiple media markets.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless serious people are willing to put in serious money, I\u2019d say beginning around $2 million, it\u2019s all nothing but lip exercises,\u201d Casey said.<\/p>\n

The National Republican Congressional Committee declined to discuss whether it would match any influx of Democratic cash. Miller has significantly outraised Poindexter, although the Democrat\u2019s campaign said it has seen a surge in social media followers in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

Democrats call for and ethics investigation and some say Miller should resign<\/p>\n

At issue in the couple\u2019s long-running dispute are claims leveled by Miller\u2019s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, that he scalded, hit and threatened her while they were married. Miller has denied the allegations.<\/p>\n

A recent article in the magazine Mother Jones revealed a new point of contention in their legal battle: a broken collarbone on their 2-year-old daughter that led Moreno to contact authorities. The pair, who were married in 2022 and finalized their divorce last year, presented different theories about how the injury occurred, according to court filings and police reports reviewed by the magazine.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, said it \u201cwould be wise\u201d for Miller to resign. The House Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus called for an ethics investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recent reports of domestic violence and child abuse against Representative Max Miller are deeply disturbing and Congress can\u2019t ignore them,\u201d Democratic Reps. Teresa Leger Fern\u00e1ndez of New Mexico, Emilia Sykes of Ohio and Hillary Scholten of Michigan wrote in their letter. \u201cAllegations of violence against women and children have to be met with the utmost seriousness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bernie Moreno declined to comment about the allegations raised by his daughter or Miller\u2019s response to those, but his spokeswoman issued a statement saying the senator was focused on his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cSenator Moreno\u2019s top priority is the safety and well-being of his daughter and granddaughter,\u201d said the spokeswoman, Reagan McCarthy. \u201cWhile he will not litigate these matters in the media or respond to baseless public attacks, he will do whatever it takes to ensure a just outcome for his family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miller\u2019s controversies escalated in July and he is facing a lawsuit by an ex-girlfriend<\/p>\n

Miller has denied all allegations of abuse. He did not respond to inquiries left with his campaign, his Washington office or on his personal cellphone. <\/p>\n

Last spring, his spokesperson provided documentation to The Associated Press that showed several allegations that he had abused his daughter had been investigated by the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services and were deemed unsubstantiated. He has sued Emily Moreno for defamation.<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s dispute escalated this week. <\/p>\n

On Thursday, lawyers for Emily Moreno asked a judge for a temporary restraining order barring Miller from contact with her attorney, Andrew Zashin. The filing alleges that Miller shouted insults at Zashin and goaded him to \u201cCome at me!\u201d outside a court hearing last May, then physically grabbed Zashin during a different proceeding on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The court filing quotes Miller\u2019s own lawyer as saying his client \u201cjust can\u2019t control himself.\u201d The attorney did not return a call seeking comment.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, Miller\u2019s ex-girlfriend, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, filed a lawsuit against him. She accused Miller of violating terms of a confidential settlement agreement they struck to resolve his 2021 lawsuit<\/a> against her.<\/p>\n

That lawsuit alleged Grisham defamed him in her book and in a Washington Post op-ed when she said a former White House staffer \u2014 later identified as Miller \u2014 had physically abused her while they were dating. While the book is vague on the specific allegations, Politico reported at the time that Grisham and Miller\u2019s relationship ended \u201cwhen he pushed her against a wall and slapped her in the face in his Washington apartment after she accused him of cheating on her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grisham alleged in the new lawsuit filed July 7 that Miller dragged her name into his dispute with Moreno and violated their agreement not to disparage each other.<\/p>\n

A campaign distraction for Miller that could turn off some voters<\/p>\n

For Poindexter, the Democratic candidate, the accusations against Miller provide a possible path to an upset in November if some conservative-leaning voters opt for him or enough Republican voters are turned off by the domestic abuse allegations and stay home. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese are serious allegations and deserve the full attention of law enforcement,\u201d Poindexter said in a statement. \u201cIf all the allegations against Congressman Miller prove to be true, Max Miller should be in jail, not worried about retaining a seat in Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim Trakas, a former state lawmaker and GOP party chair in northeast Ohio, said Miller is not helped by the fresh developments so close to the election. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a difficult year for any incumbent,\u201d he said. \u201cNow you have to spend time on this when you want to focus on the main event, which is the pocketbook issues.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) \u2014 Faced with a narrow path to winning control of the U.S. House, Democrats are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":797693,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[164749,23,338530,1927,115755,8634,338528,2302,12,1070,338534,338527,793,338532,90893,338531,11738,153784,58641,3,12303,6454,111,338529,239107,338533,8638,795,3438,21,19,22,20,25,24,800],"class_list":["post-797692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-states","tag-2026-elections","tag-america","tag-andrew-zashin","tag-ap-top-news","tag-bernie-moreno","tag-bernie-sanders","tag-brian-poindexter","tag-courts","tag-donald-trump","tag-elections","tag-emilia-sykes","tag-emily-moreno","tag-general-news","tag-hillary-scholten","tag-house-elections","tag-jim-trakas","tag-labor-unions","tag-max-miller","tag-mike-dewine","tag-news","tag-oh-state-wire","tag-ohio","tag-politics","tag-stephanie-grisham","tag-teresa-leger-fernndez","tag-terry-casey","tag-u-s-democratic-party","tag-u-s-news","tag-u-s-republican-party","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa","tag-washington-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=797692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797692\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/797693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=797692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=797692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=797692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}