Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno finally delivered a fierce public rebuke of embattled Rep. Max Miller, who has been accused of abusing Moreno’s daughter Emily.
The senator declared that Miller shouldn’t be allowed to serve in the House, and needs professional help.
Miller, however, was defiant, denying that he abused his ex-wife Emily Moreno and saying he would not step down ahead of November’s election.
Moreno revealed that he is afraid for his 2-year-old granddaughter when Miller (R-Ohio) has custody of her, and stressed that he had long avoided commenting on the matter because he hoped to keep it private.
“Out of concern for the safety of my family, I hoped to keep this matter private, but Max Miller’s increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible,” Moreno (R-Ohio) posted on X.
“As he has admitted privately, Max Miller needs serious psychological help,” the senator went on. “He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter. If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them.”
Moreno’s denunciation of Miller came after the congressman did a livestream on Sunday denying the abuse accusations against him from Emily and alleging that she suffers from bipolar disorder, something she has disputed.
Just last week, Moreno had been asked by NOTUS whether Miller should vie for reelection and replied that he “doesn’t know.”
Miller represents Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Cleveland suburbs — a district President Trump won by 11 points in 2024. A Dem-sponsored poll in June showed Miller up just one point in the general election against Democrat Brian Poindexter.
Miller had previously been accused of abuse by former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and was arrested for drunk driving when he was in college.
“He should not serve in the House of Representatives,” Moreno stressed. “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.”
Emily and Miller had married in 2022 at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey. Miller filed for a divorce from her in August 2024, on their second wedding anniversary.
She has alleged that Miller physically abused her, shoved her, dumped scalding hot water on her that left burn marks, put a gun to her head, and raised concerns that he may have also abused her daughter.
Emily has not spoken publicly about those accusations, but they appeared in police reports and her court testimony. Additionally, audio cited by Miller showed him acknowledging that he hurt her with the hot water, though he tried to deny intending to do so. That audio was recorded without Emily’s knowledge.
“You poured steaming hot water on me, and you’ve also been … emotionally abusive, and I have photos of me that my mom took at my house with me with scars on my neck, and you’ve actually seen those photos,” she said, in secret audio from August 2024 in which she claimed he poured hot water from the faucet on her during the incident weeks prior.
Court documents show images of Emily with red spots all over her body and a blue-inked handwritten note from Miller apologizing to her, saying “I’m sorry I failed you and [our daughter]” and that “I’m just a f— up and worthless.” Miller has denied that the letter was related to the hot water incident.
There are also questions about whether Miller was responsible for their 2-year-old daughter’s broken collarbone, something he adamantly denies.
In February, Emily took her to the doctor to get an X-ray, and she was diagnosed with a broken collarbone and “what appeared to be a handprint bruise” on her shoulder, according to a police report.
“I’ve been portrayed as an abusive husband, an abusive father, and a violent man,” Miller said in a livestream on X before Moreno broke his silence. “Let me begin with the most painful accusation of all — I have never abused our daughter.”
Miller ticked through the accusations in detail and pointed to evidence that he previously shared with The Post. He also doubled down on trying to accuse Emily of suffering from a mental illness.
The congressman has sued Emily for defamation and mounted an attack dog legal strategy against her. Last month, a judge formally dismissed his domestic violence case against her.
In June, a judge imposed a restraining order on both Miller and Emily, restraining them from “disparaging the other in front of the minor child and using social media/electronic devices or third parties to threaten, harass, or annoy the other.”
It is unclear if Miller’s livestream on Sunday complies with that order.
Emily’s lawyer has also sought a restraining order against him for allegedly trying to goad him into a fight and harassment.
Moreno had taken heat for not speaking up publicly sooner, with lefty critics highlighting his silence on the matter after he dropped F-bombs against Dr. Anthony Fauci during an explosive Senate committee hearing last week.
“As a father and husband, I can tell you the last two years have been pure hell for my wife Bridget, our daughter Emily, me, and our entire family in the aftermath of Emily’s divorce,” Moreno stressed.
“It has been horrific to watch this play out in full public view, all while knowing an innocent two-year-old girl is caught in the middle. Our priority has always been protecting our daughter and our granddaughter.”
In response to Moreno’s condemnation of him, Miller argued that the senator knows “this isn’t true and the only reason you are speaking out now is to hide from your own media circus. This is all political.”
“If my daughter said the same thing to me, I personally wouldn’t wait two years before holding him accountable,” he posted on X.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
