Ohio GOP Rep. Miller denies abuse allegations as he seeks reelection
(CNN) — A lawyer for Rep. Max Miller’s ex-wife has asked a judge to issue a restraining order against the congressman, alleging that Miller grabbed him and another attorney’s bag on Tuesday.
The filing alleges the incident, which it said occurred outside an Ohio courtroom where Miller and his ex-wife had attended in hearing in their long-run legal battle, was the second time the Congressman accosted his ex-wife’s attorneys after a court proceeding.
In May, the filing alleged, Miller made a crude comment about his ex-wife’s attorney’s fiancee.
CNN has reached out to Miller’s lawyer and spokesman for comment.
The request for a restraining order is the latest turn in a contentious and highly public custody battle between Miller and his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, daughter of Ohio’s Senior senator Bernie Moreno. Emily Moreno has accused her husband of abuse; Miller has denied the claims and countered that his ex-wife struggles with bipolar disorder, an allegation Moreno’s lawyer denied.
The latest filing, though, describes an encounter not between the two of them, but the congressman and his ex-wife’s attorneys, particularly lawyer Andrew Zashin. Miller sued Moreno and Zashin earlier this year for defamation.
According to the filing, during a conversation between the parties in the hallway, Miller “physically grabbed Attorney Zashin in an effort to get his attention while [Miller] simultaneously made reference to Zashin’s fiancée.” The filing also alleges that Miller “grabbed” another attorney’s bag to get his attention.
The encounter came after a court hearing in which, according to the filing, Miller interrupted, asking Zashin whether he wanted him to sign a copy of a book by former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham. Miller sued Grisham for defamation in 2021 over her allegations of abuse in the book; he later voluntarily dismissed the case.
After the exchange, the filing alleges, Miller’s attorney Larry Zukerman looked across the table and said his client “just can’t control himself.”
Miller’s legal battle with his ex-wife and the allegations it has unearthed have roiled his reelection bid in what has long been considered a solidly Republican congressional seat. Trump won Ohio’s 7th district by 11 points in 2024. Earlier this summer, police video obtained by CNN detailed specific allegations of abuse, including Moreno telling investigators about an incident in which she says Miller held a gun to her.
Democratic legislators, including the Democratic Women’s Caucus, have called for a formal Ethics investigation into Miller. Rep. Sam Liccardo, the first to demand an inquiry, posted on X that “Congress must never serve as a safe harbor for abusers.” Miller told CNN last month there was no active ethics investigation into him.
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