U.S. Rep. Max Miller, an Ohio Republican up for reelection this fall, filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Emily Moreno on Wednesday in Cleveland, accusing her and her attorney of waging a “defamatory campaign” by spreading knowingly false allegations that he was a violent and abusive husband and father.
The suit, filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, seeks at least $25,000 in compensatory damages plus punitive damages and attorney’s fees. Miller’s spokesman said in a statement that the congressman is “seeking to hold those responsible accountable and to obtain damages for the significant personal, professional, and political harm that he has suffered.” The complaint cites stories in the Daily Mail and New York Post that Miller claims have reached millions of readers, damaging his reputation among constituents, colleagues, and donors.
Moreno’s spokesman, Stefan Mychajliw, rejected the lawsuit as an attempt at intimidation. “Mr. Miller is upset because he’s tried to silence Emily Moreno the same way he silenced Stephanie Grisham — and Emily won’t let him,” Mychajliw said, adding that Miller is “running the same playbook against a woman with photographs of her bruises and burns.” He added, “Mr. Miller will not silence Ms. Moreno.” Moreno has alleged in divorce proceedings and media interviews that Miller threw boiling water at her, a charge Miller denies.
The dispute echoes a previous episode: In 2021, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham published a memoir and a Washington Post op-ed describing physical abuse by a former White House staffer later identified as Miller. Miller sued Grisham for defamation but voluntarily dismissed the case in August 2023, just before trial.
The couple married in 2022 and had a daughter in 2023. Miller filed for divorce in August 2024, as Moreno’s father, Bernie Moreno, was securing the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate with former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. The divorce was finalized last June, but a contentious custody fight has continued, with Miller obtaining a temporary restraining order against his ex-wife and subpoenaing the senator to testify. Miller’s office provided documentation showing that the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services investigated several allegations of child abuse and found them unsubstantiated.
Miller, 38, is in his second term representing Ohio’s 7th Congressional District. He faces a challenge from Democrat Brian Poindexter, a five-term Cuyahoga County councilman and union ironworker, in November.