Emily Moreno, daughter of Republican Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, filed a new restraining order against her ex-husband, Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), on Thursday, alleging the congressman physically grabbed her attorney during a court hearing and repeatedly harassed her legal team in an ongoing custody dispute.
In court filings, Moreno alleged that Miller grabbed attorney Andrew Zashin and another lawyer after a hearing earlier this week, prompting her to tell the congressman: “Get your hands off of him.” She also claimed Miller has repeatedly had physical and verbal altercations with her legal representatives following previous court dates, insulting Zashin’s fiancée in front of witnesses at an Ohio courthouse in May.
The restraining order request comes as the couple, who married in August 2022 and divorced in June 2025, remain locked in a bitter custody battle over their 2-year-old daughter. Court documents and police reports detail Moreno’s allegations that Miller threw hot water on her in 2024 after she said she planned to leave him, held a gun to her head, and physically assaulted her during a custody exchange at his Bay Village home on February 1, 2025, resulting in bruising and a grab mark on her upper arm. Miller has denied all allegations of abuse.
According to court filings reviewed by CBS News, Moreno told police that after staying with Miller, the child said to her: “Daddy kill you.” When Moreno emailed Miller asking about the statement, he denied the child would have heard anything like that from him. Moreno also alleged Miller had nothing to do with a broken collarbone their daughter sustained, though court documents show the pair presented different theories about how the injury occurred.
Miller, a second-term congressman representing a Cleveland-area district, filed a defamation lawsuit against Moreno and her lawyer, claiming her allegations caused him “considerable reputational and financial harm.” In a livestream on Sunday, Miller denied abusing his former wife or daughter, argued that all allegations had been investigated without substantiation, and said he would not drop out of his reelection race ahead of a Wednesday deadline for Republicans to replace him on the ballot.
“No court, no agency has ever substantiated any allegation of abuse against me. No criminal charge has ever been filed against me,” Miller said. “Every single one of these allegations were already investigated, and I cooperated fully every single time because I had nothing to hide and I have nothing to hide now.”
Miller disputed the timeline of events and suggested Moreno’s allegations were part of a pattern designed to influence the custody fight. He argued his ex-wife has “medically diagnosed” mental health challenges and claimed she is engaging in “a pattern of reporting incredible, serious, and destructive allegations with absolutely no evidence.”
Political Fallout and Family Divide
Hours after Miller’s livestream denial, Sen. Bernie Moreno issued a lengthy statement on X saying his former son-in-law “should not serve in the House of Representatives.” The senator, who has largely remained restrained during the custody dispute, said Miller “needs serious psychological help” and 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 wrote, marking his most forceful public condemnation of Miller to date.
The statement intensified pressure on Miller at a critical moment. Democrats have called for a House Ethics investigation and signaled they view his northeast Ohio seat as a potential flip opportunity, with union ironworker Brian Poindexter running as the Democratic nominee. Republicans have until Wednesday to replace Miller on the ballot if they choose to do so.
Miller is not the first woman to accuse him of abuse. In 2021, Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary during Trump’s first term, accused Miller of “physical abuse” in a book and Washington Post op-ed. Miller denied those allegations and filed a defamation suit against Grisham, which he later moved to dismiss with prejudice. In July 2026, Grisham brought fresh litigation against Miller claiming he violated a court settlement between them.
A spokesperson for Emily Moreno responded to Miller’s livestream by calling it “shameful.” “No loving parent would have ever used their daughter as a PR pawn to save their own political career,” Stefan Mychajliw said. “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.”
Sources
- CBS News — court filings detailing Moreno’s allegations of physical altercations with her attorney, custody dispute timeline, and Miller’s defamation lawsuit
- CNN — Bernie Moreno’s statement that Miller “should not serve” in Congress and needs “serious psychological help”
- Politico — Miller’s livestream denial of all abuse allegations and commitment to stay in the race
- PBS News — details on the custody battle, allegations against Miller, and Democratic calls for ethics investigation
- The Washington Post — Emily Moreno’s filing of the new restraining order and the incident with attorney Andrew Zashin
