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Ohio GOP congressman sues ex-wife over abuse allegations

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by Ryan Mancini - 05/14/26 5:27 PM ET

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by Ryan Mancini - 05/14/26 5:27 PM ET

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Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) on Wednesday filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), for accusing him of physically abusing her.

Miller and Emily Moreno filed for divorce in August 2024 and have been engaged in a custody battle over their young daughter. Since then, Miller claims that she worked with Cleveland-based law firm Zashin Law to issue statements to national media outlets like the Daily Beast, New York Post, TMZ and the Daily Mail alleging he abused her.

The lawsuit names the law firm and its founder, Andrew Zashin. The Hill has reached out to the law firm for comment.

The lawsuit, filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court and obtained by The Hill’s broadcast partner NewsNation, seeks compensatory damages in excess of $25,000, attorney fees and punitive damages “in an amount sufficient to punish Defendants and deter future similar conduct.”

“These false, malicious, and defamatory statements wrongly and dishonestly claim that Plaintiff committed battery on Moreno by hurling boiling water on her — in front of their minor daughter,” the lawsuit said.

Miller added that Emily Moreno claimed he sent her a handwritten letter purportedly apologizing for the incident with the water.

The lawsuit also addresses a Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services investigation into claims from 2025 and earlier this year that Miller allegedly abused their daughter. The investigation closed after the allegations were found to be unsubstantiated.

The House Republican denies any wrongdoing. He said the allegations “are simply an attempt to destroy my personal and professional reputation.”

“I look forward to bringing the truth to light in court,” Miller added in a post on social platform X.

A spokesperson for Emily Moreno told Cleveland.com, an Advance Local affiliate, that Miller was upset because his ex-wife will not let him silence her.

Miller also accused Bernie Moreno of funding “his daughter’s malicious campaign to ruin my life despite his knowledge of her mental health issues.”

“Bernie, this must be distracting from your job,” he wrote in a separate X post. “These antics harm your own grandchild. Anytime you want to put a stop to this, you can.”

The Hill has reached out to Bernie Moreno’s office for comment.

Miller in 2021 sued ex-girlfriend and former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham after she accused him of abuse. Grisham wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that she told President Trump and first lady Melania Trump that her relationship with a White House aide had become abusive.

“They knew when we got a dog for my birthday. They knew when we broke up. They also knew when the relationship turned abusive — and they didn’t seem to care,” she wrote, not referring to Miller by name.

Miller’s attorney at the time said an independent investigation would determine there was “no proof” of abuse as well as “establish that she has made false allegations against him in retaliation for him breaking her heart by ending their relationship and subsequently becoming engaged to Emily Moreno.”

Miller voluntarily dismissed that lawsuit in 2023, Cleveland.com reported.

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