Trump-Backed Ohio Congressman Max Miller Faces Abuse Allegations From Ex-Wife

A messy, high-profile custody battle involving Ohio Rep. Max Miller has spilled into public view, with his ex-wife alleging a pattern of physical abuse — including that he once held a gun to her head — and separately accusing him of threatening her father, Sen. Bernie Moreno, a fellow Ohio Republican.

Miller, a former Trump White House aide who has President Trump's endorsement heading into his reelection campaign, denies all of it. He's currently locked in a years-long legal fight with his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, that includes defamation claims on his end and a custody dispute over their 2-year-old daughter — a fight that intensified after the toddler suffered a broken collarbone earlier this year under circumstances neither parent says they can explain.

What The Allegations Say

According to court filings, police reports, and testimony transcripts, Emily has described a pattern of violence stretching back roughly a year. She told police Miller once threw hot water at her, shoved her, and on a separate occasion pointed a gun at her head after she turned on a light while tending to their daughter at night. She also alleged a February 1 incident in which Miller grabbed her, pushed her against a wall, and left visible bruising and a grab mark on her arm — allegedly in front of their daughter.

Police records note that a child protective services specialist observed bruising near the toddler's fracture that resembled a handprint. No criminal charges have been filed against Miller, and the CPS investigation into the girl's broken collarbone couldn't conclusively determine whether abuse was involved.

Perhaps most striking in the police report: statements the couple's young daughter allegedly made, including "Daddy kill you" and a comment that her father's house is "scary."

Miller's Response

Miller has categorically denied the allegations, telling reporters they amount to a fabrication tied to what he's described as an unusually contentious divorce. He's said he doesn't keep an easily accessible weapon in his home. In a police interview conducted the day after Emily spoke with investigators, Miller pushed back by characterizing his ex-wife as manipulative and referencing a bipolar diagnosis he claims she received years ago — a claim her attorneys dispute, and one Miller himself has since admitted in a court filing he can't actually document.

Miller has gone further, accusing Emily of fabricating the abuse allegations herself and initially pursuing his own civil protection order against her before dropping that request this week. According to a source familiar with the proceedings, the request wasn't formally withdrawn until Miller told the court he was no longer afraid of his ex-wife — a detail Miller's team has confirmed as accurate.

His campaign spokeswoman, Abigail Angelos, pointed to the fact that courts have continued allowing him joint custody as evidence the allegations lack merit, framing the coverage as a reckless attempt to shape public opinion rather than reflect the facts.

The Threats-To-A-Senator Allegation

Beyond the domestic abuse claims, Emily has also alleged Miller sent threatening messages to her father, Sen. Moreno. In a motion for a restraining order, she included a text she says Miller sent to Moreno, in which Miller denied ever hurting their daughter and warned Moreno that people would come to know him better than his own daughter apparently does — language that reads, at minimum, as antagonistic toward a sitting senator who also happens to be his former father-in-law.

A spokesperson for Moreno's office said the senator's focus remains squarely on the safety of his daughter and granddaughter, and that while he won't litigate the matter through the press or respond point-by-point to public accusations, he intends to pursue whatever outcome is necessary to protect his family.

The Political Backdrop

None of this is happening in a vacuum. It's unfolding as Republicans work to hold onto their House and Senate majorities heading into the back half of Trump's second term — and Trump himself has continued to back Miller publicly, calling him a strong advocate for his Ohio district and giving him a full endorsement as recently as May.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, asked directly about the allegations at a press conference, was notably cautious, emphasizing that they remain unproven and declining to weigh in further while the legal process plays out.

This isn't the first time Miller has faced abuse allegations, either. He's also entangled in a separate legal dispute with former Trump press secretary Stephanie Grisham, his ex-girlfriend, who has accused him of violating the terms of a 2023 legal settlement between them; Miller, in turn, has accused her of defamation.

What's Next

A civil trial to resolve the custody dispute between Miller and Emily is scheduled to begin November 5 — two days after Election Day, adding another layer of political timing to an already tense situation.

At a February court hearing, Miller told a judge he felt scared and asked the court for help, while simultaneously alleging his ex-wife was not "mentally well." Emily's attorney, in a July 23 filing, wrote that she has been forced to defend herself against a petition brought by the very person she says she fears.

For now, the allegations remain just that — allegations, contested by both sides, with the courts yet to reach a final determination.

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