Johnson tells – House Speaker Mike Johnson said GOP Rep. Max Miller must address domestic abuse allegations privately, while Miller continues to deny the claims and pursue defamation litigation. The dispute is tied to a contentious divorce involving Emily Moreno, the daughter
House Speaker Mike Johnson stepped into a tense, personal fight in Ohio Republican politics Friday, offering a blunt directive after domestic abuse allegations surfaced against Rep. Max Miller.
When asked about the claims made by Miller’s ex-wife, Johnson said he does not involve himself in members’ private lives, adding that Miller “refuted some of these allegations” and “he’s got to work that out.”
The remarks landed as Miller—who is serving his second term in Congress and is seeking a third term this November—remains locked in a bitter divorce and legal battle with his ex-wife. Emily Moreno.. Moreno is the daughter of Sen.. Bernie Moreno. also an Ohio Republican. making the dispute politically uncomfortable for a party that often stresses unity in family-friendly personal branding.
Miller has denied the allegations and is suing his ex-wife for defamation.. In a post on X. he said. “The false allegations against me come amidst a personal custody dispute and are simply an attempt to destroy my personal and professional reputation.. I look forward to bringing the truth to light in court.”
Miller and Moreno married in 2022 at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, and they had a daughter in 2023. Their divorce was finalized in June.
The allegations intensified earlier this month, when Daily Mail published claims that Moreno faced domestic abuse and shared photos she alleged showed injuries she sustained from Miller’s physical abuse.
In a separate escalation earlier on social media. on May 8. Miller took aim at his former father-in-law. Bernie Moreno. writing on X that the senator was continuing to “fund and enable his daughter’s malicious campaign to ruin my life despite his knowledge of her mental health issues.” He added: “Bernie. this must be distracting from your job.. These antics harm your own grandchild.. Anytime you want to put a stop to this, you can.”
The senator has not publicly responded, and on Friday his office declined to comment.
Legal pressure has also shifted from divorce filings to a federal-style reputational fight. On Wednesday, Miller filed a defamation lawsuit in Cleveland, alleging “the considerable reputational and financial harm” caused by Moreno’s abuse allegations, according to the Associated Press.
In the suit. Miller alleged that Moreno. her attorney Andrew Zashin. and his law firm engaged in a defamatory campaign by spreading knowingly false information about him to the Daily Mail. the New York Post and other media outlets.. Moreno’s camp rejected that characterization.. Her spokesperson. Stefan Mychajliw. told the Associated Press on Thursday that 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 pointed to a prior legal conflict involving Miller and Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary.. Grisham accused Miller of domestic abuse while they were dating during Trump’s first term.. Miller sued Grisham over the allegation. included in her post-White House book. and he voluntarily dismissed the suit with prejudice in 2023 while denying the claims. the AP reported.
Mychajliw told the Associated Press that Miller is “running the same playbook against a woman with photographs of her bruises and burns,” adding: “Mr. Miller will not silence Ms. Moreno.” Neither Mychajliw nor Zashin Law immediately responded to NBC News’ requests for comment Friday.
There has also been political support despite the allegations.. Domestic and child abuse claims raised by Moreno in divorce proceedings. reported locally in late April. have not prevented Trump from stepping in as Miller’s campaign ally.. On May 5. President Donald Trump endorsed Miller for re-election. saying he “served in the Marines and in his first presidential administration.” Trump posted on Truth Social: “Max Miller has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!”
At the same time, law enforcement scrutiny has appeared in the background of the family dispute.. An incident report from the Bay Village Police Department showed that an officer was dispatched to the Miller home on Feb.. 23 to speak with a child protection specialist from the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services about “suspected child abuse.” The report did not name either Miller or Emily Moreno.
Police told NBC News that the investigation is ongoing and provided no other details.. Miller’s lawyer told News 5 Cleveland in April that the county informed Miller it had found no evidence of “child abuse or neglect. ” adding that “neither Ms.. Moreno, nor anyone else has demonstrated any evidence against Congressman Miller.”
The situation pulls together a repeating sequence inside the same public political orbit: allegations surfaced from Moreno during a divorce dispute. Miller denied the claims and accused others of pursuing a campaign. his legal filing escalated into a defamation suit in Cleveland. and his political allies continued backing him while Johnson focused on telling him to “work that out.”
Mike Johnson Max Miller domestic abuse allegations defamation lawsuit Emily Moreno Bernie Moreno Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services Bay Village Police Department Trump endorsement U.S. House of Representatives Ohio politics