two ohio republicans, once bound by marriage, are now locked in one of the most public family breakdowns in recent congressional memory and this week it produced a sitting senator publicly calling for his own former son-in-law to leave office.
Who’s Involved
rep. max miller represents a republican-leaning district in the cleveland area and is running for his third term this november in an election that will help determine which party controls the house. he married emily moreno in 2022; the marriage ended in june 2025. they share one young daughter.
emily moreno is a republican political operative who has worked at the america first policy institute. she is also the daughter of sen. bernie moreno, a fellow ohio republican elected to the senate in 2024.
The Allegations Against Miller
the bernie moreno max miller resign story traces back to a series of allegations emily moreno has raised since may, documented across court filings and police reports connected to their ongoing custody dispute.
according to the new york times, moreno has alleged that miller “scalded her chest and stomach by throwing hot water from a skillet at her body; held a gun to her head; pushed her against a wall and hit her head; and fractured their daughter’s collarbone and bruised her shoulder.” the report also noted that the couple’s young daughter reportedly told moreno, “daddy kill you.”
a police report cited by CBS News detailed a specific february custody exchange in which moreno alleged miller “threw” her “against the wall,” resulting in “an obvious grab mark on her upper arm and bruising to her stomach.” the same report described a separate incident roughly two weeks later in which the child was diagnosed with a fractured clavicle, with the responding officer noting a bruise “appears to be a handprint and appears to have been inflicted.”
earlier this month, roughly 2,000 pages of court filings first reported by mother jones became public, detailing a closed investigation into miller following his daughter’s emergency room visit, along with additional allegations of drug use and violence involving multiple women.
The New Restraining Order
the bernie moreno max miller resign call followed a fresh escalation last week. emily moreno filed a new restraining order thursday in cuyahoga county, alleging that miller had physically grabbed her divorce attorney, andrew zashin, following a court hearing.
“plaintiff physically touched my counsel without consent,” moreno stated in the filing. “after plaintiff placed his hands on attorney andrew zashin, i told plaintiff, ‘get your hands off of him.'” she added: “unless restrained, plaintiff will continue to harass, threaten, and communicate with my counsel directly.”
according to the filing, miller’s own criminal defense attorney, larry zukerman, told the court during a related hearing that his client “just can’t control himself.” separately, moreno alleged miller had insulted zashin’s fiancée in front of witnesses at a may courthouse hearing.
miller and moreno already had existing court-ordered restraining orders against each other prior to this new filing. moreno also separately filed a defamation lawsuit against moreno and zashin, alleging they disseminated abuse allegations that were then published by news outlets.
Miller’s Response
miller addressed the situation directly sunday in a livestream on X, ahead of his re-election campaign, denying every allegation against him. “no court, no agency has ever substantiated any allegation of abuse against me,” miller said. “no criminal charge has ever been filed against me. 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.”
miller went further, characterizing his ex-wife’s claims as part of a pattern connected to the custody dispute, saying moreno has “medically diagnosed” mental health challenges and is engaged in “a pattern of reporting incredible, serious, and destructive allegations with absolutely no evidence.”
a spokesperson for emily moreno, stefan mychajliw, responded sharply following the livestream: “it is shameful that max miller decided to go on a bizarre and lie-filled rant about his ex-wife to desperately try to save his political career. no loving parent would have ever used their daughter as a pr pawn to save their own political career. miller can lie and spin on x, but he cannot do so under oath in a court of law. we are confident that justice will prevail in court.”
Why the Bernie Moreno Max Miller Resign Statement Is Significant
what makes the bernie moreno max miller resign call notable is the senator’s prior silence. throughout months of public allegations involving his own daughter and granddaughter, moreno’s office had said the senator would not comment on the family dispute, and he had largely stayed out of the public back-and-forth.
that changed hours after miller’s sunday livestream. moreno posted a lengthy statement on X: “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. i believe max miller needs to seek professional help to end the clear pattern of abuse he has left in his wake.”
reporting indicated moreno’s statement went further, describing miller as “a danger” to his daughter and granddaughter.
What Happens to Miller’s Campaign
despite the allegations, the restraining orders, and now his own former father-in-law’s public statement, miller has said he intends to continue running for a third term this november. no criminal charges have been filed against him in connection with any of the allegations, and he maintains that every prior investigation cleared him.
separately, leaders of the democratic women’s caucus have called for a formal ethics investigation into miller in connection with the allegations, adding institutional pressure beyond the family dispute itself.
Bernie Moreno Max Miller Resign The Bottom Line
a sitting republican senator has now publicly said his own former son-in-law a sitting republican congressman running for reelection in a competitive district should not hold office and needs psychological help. the congressman denies every allegation, points to the absence of criminal charges, and says his ex-wife’s claims are unsubstantiated. the ex-wife maintains the allegations are documented in police reports and court filings and says she’s confident “justice will prevail in court.”
no criminal charges have been filed. the custody case and related legal disputes remain ongoing. miller remains on the ballot for november.
follow this blog for updates as the case and miller’s reelection campaign develop.
