U.S. Rep. Max Miller is refusing to drop out of his race for re-election, despite a scandal involving allegations of domestic abuse and concerns, including from President Donald Trump, about his chances of winning.
The northeast Ohio Republican congressman is now facing an investigation by the House Committee on Ethics that he requested, saying he has nothing to hide.
Miller made an announcement on X on Aug. 2 and reiterated it in a CNN interview on Aug. 4 that he planned to continue the campaign to hold onto his 7th district seat. He did so with the deadline fast approaching for Republicans to replace him on the ballot.
The deadline is Aug. 10, though Republicans would need to call and hold a meeting before then to pick a substitute.
Polls and political experts have said Miller might not prevail in the Nov. 3 election against Democrat Brian Poindexter. This could have major ramifications, with Republicans only holding a slim majority in Congress.
More: Miller-Moreno marriage ends in abuse allegations, nasty custody fight
The 7th district covers Medina and Ashland counties and parts of Cuyahoga and Wayne counties.
Here's a look at what we know about the allegations against Miller:
Miller and Emily Moreno divorced in June 2025 but are in the middle of a heated custody battle involving their 2-year-old daughter.
They currently have a shared-parenting plan but are both seeking sole custody, with a trial scheduled for Nov. 5.
Moreno has alleged in court filings that Miller was abusive during and after their marriage, including claiming he threw boiling water on her, shoved her against a wall and pointed a gun at her while she changed their daughter's diaper.
Miller claims the allegations are untrue and is suing her for defamation. He has never faced criminal charges regarding any of the alleged abuse.
The Beacon Journal first reported on Miller's abuse allegations in early June, and they have recently drawn coverage from national media.
Miller told the Beacon Journal during a June 2 interview that he never abused his wife or any other woman.
Trump called Miller on Aug. 3 and expressed concern about his chances of winning in November.
"He said 'Max, it's going to be a tough race, and I don't know if you'll be able to pull this one out,'" Miller told Jake Tapper during a CNN interview on Aug. 4.
He said Trump didn't ask him to drop out.
The phone call with Trump didn't sway Miller from his determination to remain in the race.
"I will not validate false claims by removing myself just to please the court of public opinion," Miller said in a statement released Aug. 3. "I am innocent of all of the allegations that have been attributed to me. I have done well representing my constituent's interests. Why would I drop out?"
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, had remained silent about the battle between Miller and Moreno's daughter until Miller's announcement on X on Aug. 2.
Moreno posted on X that Miller "is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter." He said Miller shouldn't serve in Congress.
In an interview with reporters Aug. 4, Moreno said he doesn't care about the politics part of this but does care about how this has impacted his family.
"This is truly the seventh level of hell," he said.
Moreno, who has been criticized for not speaking up sooner, said he was following his daughter's wishes to "lower the temperature" of the situation. He said people who get divorced who have a child must still deal with each other on a regular basis.
"My daughter lives in constant fear of this man – not something that's existential but, deeply in her heart, she fears what this guy is capable of," he said. "You can't fathom what that makes me feel like when a dad's No. 1 job is to protect your kids."
In his CNN interview, Miller accused Moreno of being "politically vindictive."
The House Committee on Ethics announced Aug. 4 that it is launching an investigation into whether Miller "engaged in domestic violence and abuse or illegal drug use in violation of the Code of Official Conduct or any other applicable standard of conduct."
It is unclear what prompted the investigation or how long it will take. Previous ethics investigations have taken months or years.
The investigation followed separate requests from Miller and the Democratic Women's Caucus.
The women's caucus called for an investigation, saying the abuse allegations against Miller were "deeply disturbing" and "Congress can't ignore them."
Miller announced on X on Aug. 4 that he requested an investigation himself "to clear my name from these horrific attacks on myself and family."
"I have absolutely nothing to hide," Miller said, adding that he would provide the ethics committee with documentation.
The documents Miller released on X at the time of his re-election announcement include a supposed conversation between Miller and his ex-wife in which she says she thinks he has a drug problem.
In the CNN interview, Miller said he had smoked marijuana and last used illegal drugs several years ago.
"I don't have a timeframe on it," he said.
Miller is being sued by Stephanie Grisham, a fellow Trump spokeswoman he dated who accused him of abuse after they broke up.
Grisham wrote a tell-all book called "I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw at the Trump White House" that was released in October 2021. In the book, she mentioned a former boyfriend who had been abusive and later confirmed in an interview that she was referring to Miller, according to court records.
Miller sued Grisham for defamation in 2021 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. The lawsuit was settled in 2023, with the terms not disclosed.
Grisham filed a lawsuit against Miller July 7 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court that claims Miller violated the terms of their confidentiality agreement, which required that they not make any disparaging remarks about each other. She said Miller has made several negative comments about her on X and to different media sources in the past several months during which he's been getting renewed attention because of his ex-wife's abuse allegations.
"It's a breach of contract complaint," said Marc Dann, a former Democratic Ohio attorney general who is among Grisham's attorneys. "There were promises made and promises alleged to have been broken."
For example, the lawsuit highlights a post that Miller made on X on May 7. In the post, Miller pointed to a conversation between him and Emily Moreno in which he claimed Moreno said everything Grisham had said was fabricated and that he never did anything to harm Moreno. The post included an audio file of this conversation.
Grisham is seeking a restraining order and temporary injunction against Miller to stop him from making any more negative remarks about her. A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31.
The agreement between Grisham and Miller included a penalty for damages if either party violated the terms, according to court records.
Dann said Grisham has been contacted by numerous media outlets since the allegations of abuse involving Miller's wife surfaced but hasn't given any interviews.
"She's going to abide by the agreement she had," Dann said. "She's trying to get on with her life. This is making it very difficult for her."
Dann said Grisham has been doing political commentating, including on MS Now.
Larry Zukerman, Miller's attorney in the lawsuit, couldn't be reached for comment.
Miller remaining in the 7th district race could put the GOP's ability to hold onto the seat in jeopardy, political experts say.
"It's the wrong year for a scandal like this for a Republican," said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball, the University of Virginia Center for Politics' newsletter on American campaigns and elections. "The Republicans seem to be struggling, in general, and you add this on top of it, all of a sudden, a Trump-plus-11 district becomes a viable Democratic target."
Crystal Ball shifted the race between Miller and Poindexter from "likely Republican" to "leans Republican" on July 30.
Like the Crystal Ball, the Cook Political Report recently moved the district from "solid R" to "lean R."
Democrats need a net gain of three seats to take control of the U.S. House in the Nov. 3 election.
A poll by a Republican firm last week showed Miller underwater in the district. Poindexter was up 5 percentage points, polling at 44% to Miller's 39%, with 16% undecided. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points, according to a NOTUS article.
Miller still holds a solid financial advantage, with $1.38 million on hand compared to Poindexter's $312,000, but recent fundraising has been competitive, according to federal campaign finance reports.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at [email protected] or 330-996-3705.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: What we know about the allegations against Ohio Congressman Max Miller