Sen. Moreno says Miller 'needs serious psychological help' and should not serve in Congress

CLEVELAND - U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno took the unusual step Sunday of publicly attacking his former son-in-law, U.S. Rep. Max Miller, hours after Miller went live on “X” to deny abuse allegations that Moreno’s daughter had levelled against him.Moreno, in a lengthy statement posted to social media, described his daughter Emily’s divorce from Miller as devastating for his family. “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,” the Westlake Republican wrote. “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.” Moreno said he initially tried to stay quiet and keep the matter private “out of concern for the safety of my family,” but said “Miller’s increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible.”He said that Miller “needs serious psychological help,” describing him as " a danger to my daughter.““I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter.” Moreno wrote.Moreno, in his social media post, said Miller should not hold office, as he fails “any basic standards of character required to hold elected office.”“He should not serve in the House of Representatives,” Moreno continued. “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.”Moreno’s remarkable statement came soon after Miller spent more than 15 minutes live on “X” disputing domestic abuse allegations from Emily Moreno point by point and vowing to continue his congressional re-election bid.Miller, a Bay Village Republican, said no criminal charges have been filed against him, and no court or government agency has ever substantiated a claim of abuse. He said media coverage of the allegations has triggered death threats against him and his staff and followed up by posting documents from his divorce and custody case to a public Dropbox folder so voters could review them.Miller responded to Moreno’s statement on social media, calling it untrue and saying, “the only reason you are speaking out now is to hide from your own media circus.”“If my daughter said the same thing to me, I personally wouldn’t wait two years before holding him accountable,” Miller continued. “This is all political.”When asked Sunday if Miller should resign, President Donald Trump described the claims against him as “accusations.”“I’ll be looking at it,” said Trump, who employed Miller as a White House aide and repeatedly endorsed his congressional bids.Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, who is in a custody dispute with Miller over their two-year-old daughter, filed legal papers in May that claim Miller abused her during their marriage, including an incident in which she said he threw hot water on her from a skillet he was using to cook eggs. The filing included photos of bruises.Miller has sued his ex-wife for defamation. His defamation lawsuit says the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services investigated child abuse claims leveled by Moreno in 2025 and 2026 and found the allegations were unsubstantiated. The legal papers say it closed the cases and provided written dismissal notices to Miller.Emily Moreno asked a Cuyahoga County judge to dismiss Miller’s defamation suit under Ohio’s anti-SLAPP law, which shields people from lawsuits meant to punish them for speaking on matters of public concern.A statement about Miller’s monologue posted by a spokesperson for Emily Moreno described it as “a bizarre and lie-filled rant about his ex-wife” aimed at trying to save his political career.“It is despicable and abhorrent that Miller lied on an unhinged and humiliating video for their daughter to watch one day,” said the statement posted by Moreno spokesperson Stefan Mychajliw. “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.”The abuse allegations have become the focus of campaign attacks against Miller, whose district covers southern and western Cuyahoga County, northern Wayne County and all of Medina and Ashland counties.It also prompted bipartisan calls for a House Ethics Committee investigation. The Democratic Women’s Caucus called the claims “deeply disturbing,” and Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, said they “must be investigated and if true he should resign immediately.” Miller spokeswoman Abigail Angelos has rejected the calls for a probe, saying “the court has continued to permit him joint custody of his child.”Last week, Emily Moreno filed a request asking a Cuyahoga County judge to order the congressman to stay away from her attorney, Andrew Zashin, after she said he made physical contact with the lawyer following a July 28 court hearing.In a sworn affidavit, Emily Moreno said Miller’s attorney, Larry Zukerman, told the judge that Miller “just can’t control himself,” and that after Miller placed his hands on Zashin she told him “Get your hands off of him.” The request also describes a May 7 incident in which Miller approached Zashin in a courthouse hallway and made disparaging remarks about Zashin’s fiancée.Judge Debra Boros on Thursday scheduled multiple trial dates for their child custody dispute, starting on Nov. 5, two days after voters decide whether to re-elect Miller.Last week, Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted its rating of the race from “Likely Republican” to “Leans Republican,” citing the allegations against Miller as a factor, as well as a New York Times report in which Republicans close to President Donald Trump said internal polling was “alarming” for Miller’s candidacy.Crystal Ball managing editor Kyle Kondik wrote that although Trump had an 11-point edge in the district, “if the state’s Senate and gubernatorial races are close, as polling suggests, those races might be close in this district too, and the allegations against Miller could give Democrats more of an opening.”Miller still holds a financial edge over Brook Park council member Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker who won an eight-candidate Democratic primary in May for the chance to take on Miller.The incumbent ended June with $1.38 million in the bank against Poindexter’s $312,290, though Poindexter’s cash on hand had more than tripled from the previous quarter. Miller also carries $970,000 in debt from a loan he made to his own campaign, while Poindexter reported no debt.Poindexter issued a statement after Miller’s livestream that said nobody facing the allegations Miller faces “belongs in the halls of power.”