An Ohio congressman is facing explosive accusations from his ex-wife, who also happens to be the daughter of a sitting U.S. Senator. Rep. Max Miller, a Trump-endorsed Republican representing Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, has been accused of years of physical abuse against Emily Moreno, his 32-year-old ex-wife and the daughter of Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno. The allegations, drawn from court filings and multiple sources, have thrown two of Ohio’s most prominent Republican political families into a very public, very ugly collision.
And it’s only getting messier.
The February 1 Incident
The most recent alleged incident took place on February 1, 2026, during what should have been a routine custody exchange at Miller’s home. According to Emily Moreno, Miller struck her in full view of their 2-year-old daughter. Photos obtained by reporters show redness and bruising on Emily’s arms and torso, consistent with the type of physical contact she described.
Bay Village Police confirmed to multiple outlets that they responded to a report on that date and that an investigation remains open. The police report was categorized under “suspected child abuse,” which in Ohio can include situations where alleged abuse occurs in the presence of a minor child.
Miller has denied all of it. His attorney, Adam Brown, pointed to Ring doorbell camera footage from the exchange, claiming it shows Moreno “under no distress whatsoever” and in an “uplifted mood” immediately after the alleged incident. In the footage, Moreno can reportedly be heard saying “bye” while Miller tells their daughter “love you.”
The Boiling Water Allegation
The February incident wasn’t the first accusation. According to court documents, an earlier alleged assault took place in June 2024, when Emily says Miller threw a pot of boiling water at her. Some of it reportedly hit her chest. Their daughter was approximately 8 months old and present in the home at the time.
A photograph allegedly taken after this incident shows Emily with visible redness on her chest. On the same day as the alleged boiling water incident, Miller reportedly wrote a letter to Emily that was later obtained by reporters. In the letter, Miller apologized for “failing to protect” Moreno. He did not, however, admit to any specific act of abuse. It’s the kind of letter that could mean a lot of things depending on who’s reading it, and both sides have framed it in their favor.
Just two months after this alleged incident, in August 2024, Miller filed for divorce. The timing is worth paying attention to. He filed on their second wedding anniversary.
Miller’s Lawyers Admit He Lied About a Witness
In what might be the most damaging development for Miller so far, his own legal team confirmed on May 1, 2026, that the congressman fabricated a claim about a key witness. In a notarized statement dated February 27, Miller had declared that his girlfriend, identified as “J.A.,” was present inside his home during the entire February 1 custody exchange. He claimed J.A. made it a practice to stay out of sight during exchanges because of Moreno’s “unpredictable, irrational, unhinged, and confrontational behavior.”
Miller’s attorneys later admitted this witness claim was incorrect. They maintained that video footage showed no altercation between Miller and Moreno, but the admission that a sitting congressman submitted a false notarized statement is a serious legal problem. Emily’s attorney, Andrew Zashin, filed a motion demanding a court sanction Miller’s lawyers and award Moreno attorney fees.
“Max Miller is trying to weaponize the law to avoid having his parenting rights reduced or terminated,” Zashin stated publicly.
The Custody Battle
The divorce itself was finalized with a settlement in June 2025. Under the terms, Miller and Moreno agreed to joint custody of their daughter, with Miller paying $2,500 per month in child support. That arrangement didn’t last long.
On March 4, 2026, Emily filed a motion in Cuyahoga County court to completely overhaul the custody arrangement. In her filing, she cited Miller’s “dangerous physical behavior in the child’s presence” and stated that she did not believe joint decision-making was in their daughter’s best interest. She also described Miller as regularly speaking to her “in an inappropriate, aggressive and demeaning manner.”
Miller fired back through his attorneys, requesting a judge order psychological evaluations as part of the custody fight. His legal team characterized Moreno’s behavior as “increasingly confrontational, irrational, and somewhat bizarre.” A judge did grant Miller a protection order against Moreno, though the same judge concluded there was not enough evidence to issue a separate protective order for the minor child.
Emily’s response to Miller’s claims was direct: “If Mr. Miller is looking for an individual with abusive behavior, he should look in the mirror and past the veneers.”
Two Powerful Republican Families at War
What makes this story impossible to ignore in political circles is who’s involved. Max Miller isn’t some backbencher nobody’s heard of. He worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign, held multiple roles in the Trump White House, and was endorsed by Trump for his congressional seat. He’s also the grandson of Samuel Henry Miller, a multimillionaire Cleveland property developer. The couple married at Trump’s Bedminster golf club in August 2022, with Trump himself reportedly in attendance.
On the other side, Emily’s father is Senator Bernie Moreno, who won his Ohio Senate seat in 2024 with Trump’s backing after defeating incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown. Moreno, who was born in Bogota, Colombia, and came to the U.S. at age 5, is a former car dealer turned freshman senator. He and his wife Bridget were subpoenaed during the 2025 divorce proceedings, with Miller’s legal team seeking records of financial support they had provided to their daughter.
So you’ve got a Trump-endorsed congressman and a Trump-backed senator’s family on opposite sides of a domestic abuse case. Both are prominent figures in the Ohio GOP. Both owe their positions in large part to their relationship with Donald Trump. And now they’re airing deeply personal accusations in court filings that are becoming very public very quickly.
The Trump Endorsement Timing
Here’s a detail that raised eyebrows: Trump endorsed Miller for an uncontested Ohio primary race just days before these allegations became public. Miller was on the Republican primary ballot on May 5, 2026, seeking a third term representing Ohio’s 7th District. Nobody was running against him. The endorsement was essentially ceremonial, but the timing put Trump’s name right next to Miller’s at the worst possible moment.
Whether the White House was aware of the coming allegations when the endorsement was issued is unclear. But it created an awkward situation where Trump was publicly backing a candidate who, within days, would be facing front-page accusations of domestic violence from the daughter of another Trump ally.
Miller’s Past Legal Troubles
The current accusations aren’t the first time Miller’s name has appeared in connection with allegations of physical aggression. In October 2021, former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham publicly alleged that Miller had been physically abusive during their relationship, which lasted from 2019 to 2020. Miller denied those claims and filed a defamation lawsuit against Grisham. A Cuyahoga County judge denied his request for a restraining order to stop her from discussing the allegations.
Going back further, Miller’s record includes a 2007 no-contest plea to two misdemeanor charges after being charged with assault, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Those charges were eventually dismissed through a diversion program. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after a late-night physical altercation in Cleveland Heights.
None of this proves the current allegations, of course. But it forms a pattern that Emily Moreno’s legal team is clearly going to present to the court.
What Happens Next
The Bay Village Police investigation remains open. The custody battle is ongoing in Cuyahoga County court. Emily Moreno’s attorney has filed for sanctions against Miller’s legal team over the fabricated witness claim. And Miller is running for re-election while all of this plays out in public.
Miller’s attorney has accused Moreno of using the media to force the congressman out of his seat. Moreno’s attorney has called Miller a trust fund bully with “a well-documented history of using his wealth, lawyers, and the courts to bully his enemies.”
For his part, Miller told reporters: “This is truly exhausting. I just want what’s best for my daughter.”
Two powerful Ohio Republican families. One ugly custody fight. Allegations of abuse, fabricated testimony, boiling water, and bruises. However this plays out in court, it’s already one of the most dramatic political family feuds in recent memory. And with an open police investigation and a contested custody case still moving through the system, it’s far from over.