The custody dispute between Ohio Republican congressman Max Miller and his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, escalated sharply over the weekend when her father — Sen. Bernie Moreno, also of Ohio — broke his silence and called on the congressman to leave office.
'As he has admitted privately, Max Miller needs serious psychological help. He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter,' the senator wrote in a Sunday morning statement. 'He should not serve in the House of Representatives.'
The allegations underlying that statement are serious. Emily Moreno has accused her ex-husband of multiple instances of abuse, including holding a gun to her head and throwing scalding hot water on her. She has also said his alleged history of violence meant she could not rule out that their daughter suffered a fractured clavicle while in his care. The custody dispute grew more contentious in March when Moreno filed a court request to reopen the child custody agreement.
No criminal charges have been filed in connection with any of these incidents.
Miller has flatly denied all allegations of domestic abuse against his ex-wife and child. He filed a defamation suit against Emily Moreno in May, alleging she is a liar and has untreated bipolar disorder. Her lawyer has disputed that characterization.
Sen. Moreno is a first-term senator and former car dealer. His decision to go public puts him directly at odds with his own former son-in-law, both of whom represent Ohio Republicans in Washington. Miller has said he intends to remain in the race.
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The record here is limited but clear: these are accusations, not convictions. No prosecutor has brought charges. That matters, and we will not state as fact what courts have not established.
What the record does show is a set of institutional questions that Republicans in Ohio and in Washington will now have to answer publicly. A sitting senator has said a sitting congressman 'should not be free to continue endangering others.' That is a remarkable statement between two members of the same party representing the same state. The party that campaigns on law, order, and the integrity of institutions cannot simply look away when those questions arrive at its own door. The facts, as they develop, will determine what comes next. The party's response to them will say something about its character.
