Republican senator Bernie Moreno on Sunday publicly called for Representative Max Miller, his ex son-in-law, to step down from Congress amid allegations of domestic and child abuse.
As recently as Friday, the Ohio senator had avoided giving his opinion directly on accusations made by his daughter, Emily Moreno, against the congressman.
“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,” the Ohio senator wrote in a post on X on Sunday. “I believe Max Miller needs to seek professional help to end the clear pattern of abuse he has left in his wake. I believe he should not be free to continue endangering others until he does.”
Moreno also said he had hoped the situation would remain private but added that Miller’s “increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible”.
The senator’s statement came hours after Miller released a livestream Sunday morning denying allegations of domestic and child abuse and insisting he would remain in the race for re-election. The public appearance came ahead of Wednesday’s deadline to replace him on the ballot.
“Just want to be clear: no court, no agency has ever substantiated any allegation of abuse against me. No criminal charge has ever been filed against me,” Miller said on the livestream. “Every single one of these allegations were already investigated, and I cooperated fully every single time because I had nothing to hide and I have nothing to hide now.”
The statement follows allegations that Miller poured hot water on Emily Moreno, held a gun to her head and broke their toddler daughter’s collarbone. The accusations have intensified scrutiny of Ohio’s seventh congressional district race, with Democrats viewing the seat as a possible pickup while Republicans have largely remained silent so far.
When asked on Friday by NOTUS whether Miller should continue his re-election campaign, Moreno responded, “I don’t know,” according to the outlet.
Miller, ۳۷, has denied allegations made by both his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, and former girlfriend Stephanie Grisham, the former White House press secretary, as he continues his re-election campaign.
Emily Moreno, a conservative policy adviser, shares a two-year-old daughter with Miller. The former couple has been involved in a custody dispute over their child since ۲۰۲۴. In his Sunday statement, Bernie Moreno said it had been “horrific” to witness the situation unfold in view of the public “all while knowing an innocent two-year-old girl is caught in the middle.”
Among the allegations, Emily Moreno testified earlier this year in connection with a defamation lawsuit filed against her by Miller that he “took hot water from a pan he had just cooked eggs in and threw it at me”. She has also accused Miller of holding a gun to her head, according to the New York Times. The couple married in ۲۰۲۲.
