Max Miller
Republican congressman from Ohio's 7th district and former Trump White House official who became a Mace adversary in July 2026 when she called his ex-wife's domestic abuse allegations 'horrific' and demanded he be investigated and resign if the claims prove true.
Max Leonard Miller (born November 13, 1988, in Shaker Heights, Ohio) is the Republican U.S. Representative for Ohio's 7th congressional district. He is Jewish; his grandfather co-chaired Forest City Realty Trust, and his uncle is Middle East scholar Aaron David Miller. He attended Shaker Heights High School and earned a bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University in 2013.
Miller worked in corporate retail before joining the Marine Corps Reserve in 2013, serving as a corporal without overseas deployments. He initially backed Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign before pivoting to Trump, eventually serving in the Trump White House as lead advance representative in the Office of the Presidential Advance.
He was elected to Congress in 2022 by defeating Rep. Anthony Gonzalez in the Republican primary. Gonzalez was one of ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over January 6; Trump backed Miller specifically to unseat him. Miller has been a loyal Trump ally in Congress ever since, serving on the House Ways and Means Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.
The domestic violence allegations
Miller married Emily Moreno, the daughter of Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, in August 2022. Their daughter was born in November 2023. The couple separated in 2024 and their divorce was finalized in December 2025.
Beginning in mid-2026, Mother Jones and other outlets reported on approximately 2,000 pages of court filings, police reports, and child welfare documents from their custody case. According to those filings, Emily Moreno alleged Miller:
- Threw hot water from a skillet at her
- Held a gun to her head
- Shoved her into a wall
- Broke their infant daughter's collarbone
A child welfare investigation was conducted in February 2026 and resulted in no charges. The family court allowed joint custody of their daughter. In May 2026, Miller sued Moreno for defamation over the allegations. Miller has denied all abuse claims, acknowledged only that he "once playfully threw water" at her, and said no police reports were ever filed. His office characterized the allegations as false, politically motivated, and tied to the custody dispute. He claimed Moreno had untreated bipolar disorder; her attorney rejected that characterization.
No criminal charges have been filed. All allegations remain contested and unproven.
Mace calls for investigation
In late July 2026, Newsweek reported on Mace's public statement about the allegations:
"The allegations against Max Miller are horrific. They must be investigated, and if true, he should resign immediately."
The statement is notable on several levels. Mace has positioned herself as one of Congress's leading voices on #MeToo and survivor advocacy, and calling out a fellow Republican, especially one with strong Trump backing, was a pointed move. It also arrived as Democrats were flagging Ohio's 7th as a potential pickup in the 2026 midterms, with the allegations drawing national attention.
Representative Sam Liccardo separately called for a House Ethics Committee investigation into Miller.
Sources
- Newsweek, "Nancy Mace Calls for Investigation Into 'Horrific' Max Miller Allegations" (July 2026)
- Newsweek, "Max Miller Faces Domestic Violence Claims, Could Democrats Flip His Seat?" (July 2026)
- Ohio Capital Journal, "Ohio Congressman Max Miller is being sued amid domestic violence allegations" (July 14, 2026)
- GV Wire, "Domestic Abuse Allegations Rock an Ohio House Race" (July 29, 2026)
- Wikipedia, Max Miller (politician)