Max Miller, the Trump-endorsed congressman accused of domestic abuse, has vehemently denied the allegations against him. But his attempts to clear his name have led to other personal secrets being revealed.
The Ohio Republican, 43, announced Sunday that he would not drop out of his congressional race and accused his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno, of spreading lies. To substantiate his claims, Miller shared a link to a Dropbox folder containing hundreds of pages of documents, including excerpts from conversations he appeared to have secretly recorded between himself and his GOP operative former spouse.
One such conversation took place in August 2024, when Emily Moreno, now 32, told Miller, who has been in office since 2023, that she believed he has a “drug problem.” The couple separated that same month, and finalized their divorce last year.
“First it was weed, then I found needles next to your bed,” she told him. “I took a picture of it. You can try to deny it to me.”
Miller repeatedly denied that Moreno found a needle next to their bed—or that she found a needle at all. During the recording, he also denied ever recording Moreno.
In another recording shared by Miller from a month later, he appeared to admit the needle was for injecting himself with testosterone.
“I told you I was doing TRT and that I had stopped,” he told Moreno. “Testosterone replacement therapy. You knew I was doing that, right? And, and I know this for a fact, so you’ve already acknowledged that you already know that that behavior was going on.”
“What you told me was you did it several times, and that was it,” Moreno replied. “So when I found a needle, I had no idea what the f--- it was.”
“I also asked you several times if you were still doing it, and you said no because I looked it up, and it’s not good for you,” Moreno added.
A spokesperson for Miller did not respond to a Daily Beast request for clarification on his use of testosterone injections.
While testosterone replacement therapy has been popularized by several officials in the Trump administration, numerous studies have shown the treatment can result in mood swings, reduced cognition, and increased aggression in men.
The disclosure of Miller’s testosterone use comes as testimony from Moreno alleging Miller was violent toward her and their 2-year-old daughter has emerged amid a bitter custody battle. Miller has since sued Moreno for defamation, while she has, in turn, filed for a restraining order against him.
Among other accusations, Moreno has alleged in court that Miller poured hot water on her, beat her, pointed a gun at her head, and potentially broke the collarbone of their toddler. Miller has strenuously denied the allegations, a point he reiterated during his 20-minute livestream Sunday.
“Let me begin with the most painful accusation of all: I have never abused our daughter,” Miller said in the video, sitting in front of a blurred background that appeared to feature a child’s drawings.
“This isn’t about defending myself. I’m speaking up as a father, trying to protect our daughter. For months, my family and I have watched how people have been relentlessly attacked,” he said.
The congressman slurred his words and spoke in a monotone voice as he accused Moreno, without providing evidence, of having mental health issues and lying during their custody battle.
“Ask yourself: If I had assaulted her, would she have offered to cook me dinner six days later? Would she have invited me to spend an afternoon at the playground with her and our daughter?” he said.
Minutes later, Sen. Bernie Moreno broke his silence in an emotional post on X and called for Miller to be removed from Congress, alleging he fails the “basic standards of character” required to hold elected office.
“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,” the MAGA Republican, who had largely avoided previously speaking out on his daughter’s divorce and abuse allegations, said.
Miller emerged on the national stage during President Donald Trump’s first term, when he served as a White House staffer. Trump later attended his wedding, which was held at his golf course in Bedminster.
During Miller’s stint in the Trump administration, he had a romantic relationship with former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who accused him of pushing her and slapping her face when she accused him of cheating. He vehemently denied the allegations and later sued her for defamation over a book she published. They settled the lawsuit, though now Grisham is suing Miller for remarks he made in an interview this summer.
On Sunday, Trump addressed the allegations surrounding Miller, while saying he would “look at it.”
“I mean, so far, it’s accusations,” he said at Joint Base Andrews, according to The New York Times.
The Times reported that Miller is just a percentage point ahead of his Democratic opponent in the polls. He represents a congressional district that was reliably red in 2024.
