Moreno Says Ex-Son-in-Law Max Miller Shouldn't Serve in House
The Ohio senator, breaking months of public silence, said Rep. Max Miller "is a danger to my daughter" and needs psychological help, hours after Miller vowed to stay in his race.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Moreno said his former son-in-law, Rep. Max Miller, should not be serving in the House of Representatives and should "seek professional help," breaking months of public restraint over a bitter custody dispute between Miller and the senator's daughter, Emily Moreno.
"If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them. He should not serve in the House of Representatives," Moreno wrote in a lengthy post.
The senator added that Miller "needs serious psychological help. He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter."
Moreno's statement came the same day Miller, a Republican from northeast Ohio, defended himself in a live video on X and said he would remain on the November ballot ahead of a Wednesday deadline to replace him. "I'm not dropping out of this race and I'll win in November," Miller said, denying that he abused his former wife or his daughter.
Emily Moreno has said Miller scalded, hit and threatened her while they were married. Miller denied the allegations as he went through them one by one, calling the situation "incredibly upsetting." He also said he had nothing to do with a broken collarbone suffered by the couple's 2-year-old daughter, an injury that led Emily Moreno to contact authorities. The two have offered different explanations for how it happened, according to court filings and police reports detailed in a July article in Mother Jones that first revealed the injury. Miller released a large cache of investigative and court documents, along with audio and video clips, alongside his announcement.
A spokesperson for Emily Moreno, Stefan Mychajliw, called the video "shameful." "Miller can lie and spin on X, but he cannot do so under oath in a court of law," he said.
Asked Sunday evening whether Miller should resign, President Donald Trump, who has endorsed him, said "so far it's accusations" and that he would be "looking at it."
Miller's Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter, said no one facing such accusations "belongs in the halls of power." Republicans floated as possible replacements include state Rep. Mike Dovilla and former state Sen. Kevin Coughlin, according to a high-ranking Republican who spoke on condition of anonymity. Miller won reelection two years ago with just over 51% of the vote.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
