New secret recordings of congressman accused of 'abusing' senator's daughter throw his race into jeopardy

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 20:36, 3 August 2026 | Updated: 20:37, 3 August 2026 Republican Congressman Max Miller is facing growing calls to resign - or at least not seek reelection to his US House seat - after he has been bogged down for months by allegations of abusing his ex-wife and their young daughter, which he categorically denies. In a lengthy livestream on X Sunday morning, Miller wholly denied all allegations of physical abuse that his wife, Emily Moreno, daughter of Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, has been accusing him of for the last few years since their divorce. Miller also released years of audio and video recordings of various moments in his relationship with his ex-wife, attempting to prove his innocence to the public.  But one of the audio recordings secretly recorded and released by Miller, attempting to clear his name, shows Emily Moreno accusing him of drug use. In the secretly recorded audio conversations by Miller, Emily Moreno asked him, 'You've never recorded one of our conversations?' 'I don't,' he responded. 'I have never gone into your cellphone. And I've never gone into your computer. And I've never sneaked into your backpack,' Miller said. Emily Moreno then admitted to going through his backpack 'because I truly do believe you have a drug problem.'  According to the audio recording, she said that she was concerned about his usage of marijuana, and also found needles by his bed, which she allegedly took photos of. She called it a 'huge impetus for why I left,' in the recordings put out by Miller. Ohio Congressman Max Miller addressed on Sunday morning allegations of abuse made against him by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno He denied having any needles by his bed and said he was happy to take any drug test she would like.  In another recording he released, Miller admitted to taking testosterone replacement therapy and claimed he had been open with Emily about it. In the video he released on Sunday, Miller insisted that he will not drop out of the race, stating: 'I'm winning in November.' Miller's office told the Daily Mail, 'Other parties have chosen to relentlessly defame him and now he is sticking up for himself. ' 'All of the allegations that have been made against him have been found to be unsubstantiated,' said his Deputy Chief Abigail Angelos. Miller has also been accused by Emily Moreno of physically abusing her and their young daughter, which he has denied. After the bombshell broadcast, Emily's father, sitting Senator Bernie Moreno, claimed that Miller has 'privately admitted' he 'needs serious psychological help,' and called his former son-in-law a 'danger.' Senator Moreno also shared his view that his former son-in-law should not continue to serve in elected office, despite his past backing. 'If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them,' the elder Moreno wrote.  Photos obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail  earlier this year show the injuries Emily documented on her arms and torso the day of the alleged incident, with additional images taken the following day, February 2 'He should not serve in the House of Representatives. I believe Max Miller needs to seek professional help to end the clear pattern of abuse he has left in his wake. I believe he should not be free to continue endangering others until he does,' Senator Moreno added in his Sunday post on X. But other top Republicans have not been as eager to denounce Miller. When President Donald Trump was asked about the domestic abuse allegations against Miller in the Oval Office at the White House on Monday, he noted, 'It's a very sad thing. I know Max, he's a good person, I always thought he was a very good person and I'm going to let the families figure it out, 'It's a very sad thing. It's accusations. And I'm going to let them figure it out,' Trump added. On Sunday night, Trump told reporters he had 'just learned about' the allegations before being asked about them on Air Force One. 'I'm going to look at it. I mean, so far, it's accusations. I'll be looking at it, yep,' Trump told reporters, without answering whether or not Miller should resign on Sunday. One X user pointed out that Miller had previously been accused of misconduct by another former partner, Stephanie Grisham, who was one of the White House press secretaries in the first Trump administration.  Miller's relationship with Grisham came to an end in 2020 when he allegedly pushed her against a wall and slapped her after she accused him of cheating, according to a 2020 Politico report. In October 2021, Grisham wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post claiming that the Trumps 'didn't seem to care' when she told them her relationship with Miller had turned 'abusive.' Miller filed a libel suit against Grisham in 2021, which was voluntarily later dismissed with prejudice after the parties settled out of court before reaching a jury trial.  The Daily Mail reached out to Grisham for comment.  Sarah Matthews, an Ohio native and a former Trump White House staffer from the first administration who is now a contributor to anti-Trump Republican publication The Bulwark, noted on X, 'I'm glad Senator Moreno has decided to speak publicly, even if it came later than many hoped.' 'This is a devastating situation for everyone involved, but one thing is increasingly clear: @RepMaxMiller is not fit to serve in Congress,' Matthews added. Vice President JD Vance, another Ohio native and US Senator alongside Bernie Moreno, has not weighed in on the matter. The Daily Mail reached out to Vance's team for comment.  Miller denied all allegations made against him by his ex-wife during his livestream and said that he will provide evidence to prove his innocence. An earlier incident on June 9, 2024, saw the Congressman allegedly hurl a pot of boiling water at Emily during an argument inside their Ohio home, with some of the water striking her chest while their then eight-month-old daughter was present, multiple sources with direct knowledge said 'Let me begin with the most painful accusation of all, I have never abused our daughter,' Miller stated, clearly reading off a script during his Sunday address. 'I also want to address the allegations of domestic abuse. I categorically deny abusing my former wife,' he continued. Emails between the former partners revealed that Moreno asked him why their daughter had what appeared to be a bruise on her neck. Miller told Moreno the two were 'going finger painting,' and provided images of the activity both to his ex-wife at the time, documents he released to the public showed. The 'fingerpainting' exchange allegedly took place 'just two weeks ago in mid-July.' Miller added that Moreno took their 'daughter to the hospital,' and that 'she could not wait to take her to the emergency room.' Moreno asked Miller if their daughter Ruth had paint in 'her hair/neck' Miller replied to the inquiry with photographs of their daughter painting In his speech on Sunday, Miller defiantly stated that Emily Moreno's allegations of abuse 'are incredibly serious criminal accusations, concluding, If these accusations were true, I would be in jail. I would be.' No criminal charges have been brought against Miller. A number of times during his remarks, Miller seemed to struggle to read his prepared remarks.  In response to Miller's video, Emily Moreno's spokesman, Stefan Mychajliw, wrote on X that 'no loving parent would have ever used their daughter as a PR pawn to save their own political career.'  Miller's congressional seat, Ohio's 7th district, is currently rated 'Likely Republican' by the Cook Political Report. It was moved from the 'Solid Republican' category on June 18th of this year, and has a partisan voter index of R+5. Miller won his race in 2024 with 51.1 percent of the vote. Brian Poindexter, the Democratic nominee in the seat who made it through the primary with the help of backers like Bernie Sanders and Ro Khanna, wrote on X Sunday after Miller's address that 'no one credibly accused of holding a gun to his wife's head and breaking their two-year-old daughter's collarbone belongs in the halls of power.' Miller has denied such allegations. Republican JR Majweski, who ran in Ohio's 9th district in 2024, has indicated that he would run for Miller's seat if the incumbent were to drop out.  The deadline for Ohio Republicans to start the process to replace Miller on the ballot is this Wednesday, August 5, at 4:00 PM. The Daily Mail has reached out for comment to Miller's congressional office, his legal team, and Emily Moreno's lawyer.