A bitter family feud between two prominent Ohio Republicans has erupted into a political crisis that threatens to put a congressional seat, until recently considered safe for the party, at risk ahead of the November midterm elections. Sen. Bernie Moreno on Sunday launched a public attack on his former son-in-law, Jewish Rep. Max Miller, saying he was unfit to remain in Congress.
At the center of the dispute are allegations by the senator's daughter, Emily Moreno, Miller's ex-wife, that he was violent toward her and their 2-year-old daughter. In court filings and police reports, Moreno alleged that Miller held a gun to her head, shoved her against a wall and threw hot water at her from a pot in which he had been boiling eggs. She also alleged that after their divorce, their daughter returned from Miller's custody with a broken collarbone and a shoulder injury. According to one report, the girl told her mother, "Daddy will kill you."
Miller, 37, a former Trump White House staffer, has denied the allegations. No criminal charges have been filed against him, and prosecutors determined that there was insufficient admissible evidence to present the case to a grand jury. According to documents made public, child protective services were unable to substantiate the claim that Miller had harmed his daughter. One examination found signs of physical injury, but investigators did not have enough evidence to determine who had caused them.
During an extended livestream Sunday, Miller said that "no court and no agency has ever substantiated any allegation of abuse." He stressed that he continued to share custody of his daughter. Miller described the incident in which he allegedly threw hot water at his wife as "horseplay" in the kitchen. He said he had sprayed her with water from the faucet and had not intended to hurt her. He also accused his ex-wife of struggling with mental health problems, a claim her attorney denied.
Special Announcement https://t.co/ouTFVkATZD
— Max Miller (@MaxMillerOH) August 2, 2026
Alongside the livestream, Miller published a collection of investigative records, recordings and correspondence that he said supported his account. According to reports, the material included his daughter's name and his ex-wife's home address. A spokesperson for Emily Moreno called the video "shameful" and accused Miller of using their daughter as "a public relations tool" to save his political career.
Shortly after the broadcast, Sen. Moreno broke his prolonged silence. "He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter," Moreno wrote. He said Miller's conduct had become "increasingly erratic and dangerous" and that the congressman needed professional psychological help. Miller responded that the senator's remarks were politically motivated. "If my daughter had told me something like that, I wouldn't have waited two years," he said.
President Donald Trump, who played a central role in Miller's political rise and endorsed his candidacy, also addressed the controversy for the first time. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had heard about the allegations only on Sunday afternoon. "For now, they're allegations," he said. "I'll look into it."
Emily Moreno, meanwhile, sought a temporary restraining order barring Miller from contacting her attorney, Andrew Zashin. The request alleged that Miller grabbed Zashin and another attorney during a hearing last week, and that he had previously threatened and verbally abused members of her legal team. Miller, for his part, has sued his ex-wife and her attorney for defamation.
During the livestream, Miller made clear that he would not withdraw from the race. "I'm not getting out of this race," he said. "I'm going to win in November." Wednesday, Aug. 5, is the deadline for initiating a process that would allow Republicans to replace Miller on the ballot, and any replacement would have to be approved by Aug. 10. Potential replacements reportedly being discussed behind the scenes include former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken, state Rep. Mike Dovilla and former state lawmaker Kevin Coughlin.
The controversy has turned Ohio's 7th Congressional District into an unexpected opportunity for Democrats. Trump carried the district in 2024 by 11 percentage points, but Miller won slightly more than 51% of the vote. An internal Democratic poll showed him leading his challenger, union ironworker Brian Poindexter, by just one point. Democrats are also calling for the House Ethics Committee to investigate the allegations.
