Max Miller abuse allegations complicate race for once-solid GOP seat

Allegations of domestic abuse by Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) — which he vehemently denies — are receiving increasing national attention and complicating the race for the once reliably Republican seat while prompting new calls from Democrats for his resignation or investigation.

While Miller is still in a good position electorally, the allegations have prompted several race handicappers to cast doubt on his prospects — including as recently as Thursday. The dynamic has made Democrats hopeful that their challenger can be competitive in a district President Trump won in 2024 by 11 points, even as they delicately handle their response.

Details of the abuse allegations and Miller’s rebuttal have been trickling out for months but only recently gained widespread attention in Washington.

The new spotlight comes as bipartisan scrutiny on misconduct by members of both parties has ramped up this year. Several Democrats and the Democratic Women’s Caucus have called for Miller’s resignation or a House Ethics Committee investigation in the last week. Republicans, meanwhile, have largely avoided criticizing their Ohio colleague.

Trickle of allegations gain national attention

The allegations are part of an ugly family drama in Ohio Republican politics involving Miller; Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, who is the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio); and a custody battle over the ex-couple’s 2-year-old daughter. Miller has vigorously and publicly denied the allegations, filed a defamation suit against his ex-wife, and has said on social media that she has “mental health issues.” The couple, who married at Mar-a-Lago in 2022, divorced last year.

The Daily Mail in May reported Emily Moreno’s allegation that Miller had left bruises after grabbing her and said he hurled scalding water at her while their infant daughter was present. The New York Post followed up in June revealing recordings Miller secretly made of Moreno that he argued cast doubt on her allegations. CNN in June reported that Moreno accused Miller of holding a gun to her head.

The allegations captured even more attention in the press — and from Miller’s House colleagues — in July. A lengthy feature in Mother Jones went into further detail about the allegations from Moreno. The piece also delved into allegations against Miller by former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and disputes between the two, as well as other brushes with the law from his early adulthood. A New York Times story soon followed.

High-profile political opponents in the House and in the campaign sphere have now started to raise alarm about the Ohio congressman. 

Giffords, the gun violence prevention group, on Wednesday called on Miller to resign in........

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