Republican congressman Max Miller faces backlash over domestic abuse allegations

Ohio representative is accused by his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend of abuse as he campaigns for re-election

The Ohio representative Max Miller is facing growing pressure to resign over a series of domestic abuse allegations made by his ex-wife and former girlfriend.

The Republican congressman, 37, who represents Ohio’s seventh congressional district, has denied accusations made by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, and former girlfriend Stephanie Grisham, as he campaigns for re-election.

Moreno, a conservative policy adviser, shares a two-year-old daughter with Miller. The pair have been engaged in a legal battle over custody of their child since 2024.

In one alleged incident, Miller “took hot water from a pan he had just cooked eggs in and threw it at me”, Moreno testified earlier this year amid a defamation lawsuit Miller filed against her. Moreno has also accused Miller of holding a gun to her head, the New York Times reported . The pair married in 2022.

In addition, Moreno alleged that Miller “regularly speaks to me in an inappropriate, aggressive and demeaning manner, which is not in the best interest of our child”.

A prominent anti-gun-violence group has called for Miller’s resignation after Moreno alleged he had held a gun to her head.

Responding to Moreno’s allegations, Miller told Spectrum News in June: “They’re false allegations. Our divorce was finalized on December 18 in 2025. No police reports were ever filed.”

In May, Miller also claimed on X that Moreno’s father, the Republican US senator for Ohio Bernie Moreno, “continues to fund and enable his daughter’s malicious campaign to ruin my life despite his knowledge of her mental health issues”, adding: “These antics harm your own grandchild.”

In a statement to the Guardian, a spokesperson for Bernie Moreno said: “Senator Moreno’s top priority is the safety and well-being of his daughter and granddaughter … While he will not litigate these matters in the media or respond to baseless public attacks, he will do whatever it takes to ensure a just outcome for his family.”

Separately, Miller’s former girlfriend Grisham, who served as White House press secretary during Donald Trump’s first administration, has also accused him of abuse, an allegation he has denied. Grisham and Miller dated from 2019 to 2020.

In a 2021 Washington Post op-ed, Grisham – without naming Miller – wrote about a relationship that “turned abusive”, and of a former partner who was “physical” with her. Although she did not identify Miller in the article, he said it was widely understood that the op-ed referred to him. She later confirmed she was talking about Miller, according to the Times.

Miller subsequently sued Grisham for defamation before later dropping the lawsuit as part of a confidential settlement agreement. Grisham has since filed a new lawsuit against Miller, alleging that he violated the confidential settlement through comments he made to Spectrum News.

In his June interview with Spectrum News, Miller said: “What should be noted is [Grisham’s] allegation came out on the same day as somebody’s book launch. And the other part, what I would like to discuss, is my ex-wife was with me every single day during that time of my life in that election, and she, in her own words, will tell you that I never did any of those things.”

The Guardian has reached out to Miller’s campaign and office for comment. Miller himself described a New York Times reporter as “disgusting” when approached for comment earlier this month.

In a statement to the New York Times, Miller’s Democratic rival for Ohio’s seventh congressional district, Brian Poindexter, said: “If the allegations prove to be true … Miller should be in jail, not worried about retaining a seat in Congress.”

The Guardian has reached out to Poindexter for additional comment. He trailed Miller by a single point in a June survey .

Giffords, the national gun violence prevention group founded by former House representative Gabrielle Giffords, called on Wednesday for Miller’s resignation.

“Congress is no place for violent abusers who attack their family and hold a gun to their wife’s head. Max Miller needs to resign now – and if he refuses, the House should expel him,” the group’s executive director, Emma Brown, said of the allegations.

Brown continued: “If Republicans in Congress use their power to shield dangerous abusers from consequences, it will give voters yet another reason to take away their majority this November.”