Republican Senator Bernie Moreno said on August 2, 2026, that his former son-in-law, Representative Max Miller of Ohio, should resign from Congress. Moreno said Miller abused his daughter, Emily Moreno, and is unfit for office. "If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them," Moreno wrote on social media. "He should not serve in the House of Representatives." Moreno also said Miller should "seek professional help." A few days earlier, on July 28, Moreno alleged that Miller had assaulted his wife and held a gun to her head, and said Republicans did not seem to care. On July 31, Moreno criticised another congressman for staying quiet. Al Jazeera

Emily Moreno has said that Miller hit her, threatened her, and threw hot water on her while they were married. The couple divorced last year but are still fighting over custody of their child. A Mother Jones investigation found that the couple's two-year-old daughter had a broken collarbone, which led Emily Moreno to contact authorities. Court filings and police reports showed that Miller and Emily Moreno gave different stories about how the injury happened. Last spring, a spokesperson for Miller gave The Associated Press records showing that a local child-welfare agency, the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services, had looked into several abuse claims and decided they were unsubstantiated. That means the agency did not find enough evidence to confirm them. Al Jazeera

The New York Times reported in July 2026 that the abuse allegations could hurt Miller's chances in his Ohio House race. By early August, Miller planned to make an announcement as pressure grew. Akron Beacon Journal

Miller has filed defamation lawsuits against both Emily Moreno and a second woman who made abuse allegations against him. Defamation means suing someone for making false statements that damage a person's reputation. PBS NewsHour

In a video shared on social media, Miller denied his ex-wife's allegations and said: "I'm not dropping out of this race, and I'll win in November." He said he would not step down before a Wednesday deadline to replace him on the ballot for the upcoming midterm elections. Emily Moreno's spokesperson, Stefan Mychajliw, called Miller's video "shameful." Al Jazeera

Democrats in Congress have called for Miller to resign and for an ethics investigation into his alleged actions. They have also identified Miller's Ohio House seat as a potential pickup opportunity, meaning they think they could win it. PBS NewsHour

Miller worked as a White House adviser during President Donald Trump's first term. During the early days of Israel's war on Gaza, he was criticised for saying Palestine would be turned into a "parking lot." Al Jazeera

Moreno has kept pushing the issue on social media. In his July 28 post, he said Republicans do not care about the allegation that Miller assaulted his wife. X On July 31, he criticised a congressman for remaining silent. X And on August 2, he said Miller needs serious psychological help and is a danger to Moreno's daughter. X

The broader context here is that this situation is unusual and complicated. A US senator publicly calling for a member of his own party to resign over domestic abuse allegations is rare. It is even more unusual when those allegations come out of a family dispute that has already gone through divorce and custody proceedings. Miller's defamation lawsuits against both accusers mean the core factual disputes are now being argued in civil court at the same time they are playing out in politics.

The ballot deadline adds a practical problem. If Miller were to step down after Wednesday's deadline, the Republican Party would face logistical and legal hurdles in replacing him on the November ballot. That would shape the race no matter how the allegations are resolved.

The child-welfare agency's finding that the abuse allegations were unsubstantiated gives Miller a rebuttal point that is likely to feature prominently in his defense. But the Mother Jones reporting on the daughter's broken collarbone and the different accounts of how it happened ensure the story has investigative weight beyond a simple back-and-forth.

For Democrats, the combination of a GOP senator's public condemnation, a custody dispute involving child welfare, and a competitive Ohio district creates a narrow but genuine opening. Whether that opening turns into electoral consequences will depend in part on whether Moreno's calls gain traction among Ohio Republican leadership and whether the ethics investigation Democrats are demanding actually happens in the House.