Records detail new allegations against Trump's "great guy" in Ohio

July 20, 2026

July 20, 2026

I cover politics all across the country, but I especially like to keep up with what’s happening in Ohio, where I spent the first 22 years of my life. In 2024, for example, I reported extensively on Republican Bernie Moreno’s campaign to unseat longtime Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown. But just as Moreno was celebrating a hard-fought victory, his daughter was in the early stages of getting divorced from another Ohio Republican, Rep. Max Miller.

“Boy, I bet work is about to get awkward for these guys,” I thought at the time.

Two years later, Moreno is now the senior senator for Ohio, and Miller is campaigning for a third term while still in the throes of a heated custody battle with Moreno’s daughter, Emily. Her court filings paint a troubling picture of Miller, including allegations that he physically and emotionally abused her and possibly abused other women. And that’s just the stuff from their custody case. In all, I went through more than 2,000 pages of police reports and court records about the Cleveland-area congressman. (Content warning: The story also includes details about an investigation into potential child abuse.)

Given the subject matter, this was an incredibly difficult story to write. However, I think it raises important questions about Miller’s fitness for public office, and I hope you’ll give it a read.

—Abby Vesoulis

Assault, Misogyny, Verbal Threats: Records Detail New Allegations Against Rep. Max Miller

Police reports and filings in a bitter custody dispute raise new questions about the conduct of an Ohio Republican as he campaigns for a third term.

BY ABBY VESOULIS

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