U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno (Republican, Ohio) on May 26 publicly stated that Representative Max Miller, his former son-in-law, is unfit to continue serving in Congress amid domestic abuse allegations targeting his daughter, Emily Moreno.
In remarks posted on social media, Moreno said Miller fails to meet basic ethical standards required for holding elected office. “If there is any basic standard of fitness to hold elected office, Max Miller does not meet it. He should not serve in the House,” Moreno wrote, also urging Miller to “seek professional help to end the pattern of abuse he has inflicted.”
According to Emily Moreno, during their marriage, Miller allegedly struck her, threatened her, and threw boiling water on her. The couple finalized their divorce last year but remain embroiled in a lengthy custody dispute. A recent Mother Jones magazine report revealed new details in the case: a broken collarbone injury to their two-year-old daughter, which prompted Emily Moreno to contact authorities. Court documents and police reports obtained by the magazine show the two sides offered differing explanations for the child's injury.
Earlier, last spring, Miller's spokesperson provided the Associated Press with documents indicating that some allegations that he abused his daughter had been investigated by the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services and found to be unsubstantiated. Miller has also sued Emily Moreno for defamation.
Despite mounting pressure over his conduct and fitness for office, Miller has vowed not to withdraw from the race before Wednesday's deadline to replace him ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. In a video posted on social media on May 26, Miller said: “I am not dropping out of this race, and I will win in November.” He also denied the abuse allegations from his ex-wife.
In response, Emily Moreno's spokesperson, Stefan Mychajliw, called the video “shameful.” Mychajliw stressed that a wealth of documented evidence shows Miller has a history of violent and dangerous behavior, adding that “no amount of victim-blaming can change that.”
Democratic lawmakers have also called on Miller to resign and have urged an ethics investigation into his alleged conduct. Observers note that Democrats may seek to capitalize on what they view as a more vulnerable House seat now that Miller is determined to stay in the race.
Miller previously served as a White House adviser under former President Donald Trump during his first term. Early in Israel's war in Gaza, the congressman drew criticism for remarking that Palestine would be turned into a “parking lot.”
