Rep. Max Miller filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday against his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, accusing her of orchestrating what he described as a false and malicious campaign to destroy his reputation through allegations of physical abuse.
The lawsuit, filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, marks the latest escalation in a contentious divorce and custody battle that has unfolded publicly since Miller and Moreno filed for divorce in August 2024.
According to the complaint, Miller alleges that Moreno worked alongside the Cleveland-based law firm Zashin Law to distribute accusations of abuse to major media outlets, including the Daily Beast, New York Post, TMZ, and the Daily Mail.
The lawsuit also names the firm’s founder, Andrew Zashin, as a defendant. The Hill reported it had reached out to the law firm for comment.
Miller is seeking compensatory damages exceeding $25,000, punitive damages, and attorney fees. In the filing, the Ohio Republican strongly denied allegations that he physically assaulted Moreno, including claims that he threw boiling water on her in front of their young daughter.
“These false, malicious, and defamatory statements wrongly and dishonestly claim that Plaintiff committed battery on Moreno by hurling boiling water on her,” the lawsuit states.
Miller further alleged that Moreno falsely claimed he had written her a handwritten apology letter admitting responsibility for the alleged incident.
The lawsuit also addresses allegations involving the couple’s daughter that led to an investigation by the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services earlier this year and in 2025. According to the filing, that investigation ultimately concluded after officials found the allegations to be unsubstantiated.
The congressman has denied any wrongdoing and argued the accusations are politically and personally motivated.
“These allegations are simply an attempt to destroy my personal and professional reputation,” Miller wrote in a statement posted on X. “I look forward to bringing the truth to light in court.”
A spokesperson for Moreno told Cleveland.com that Miller’s lawsuit stemmed from frustration that his ex-wife would not remain silent.
The case has also spilled into Republican political circles because Moreno is the daughter of Bernie Moreno. Miller accused the senator of helping finance what he called a coordinated effort to ruin his life despite allegedly knowing about his daughter’s mental health struggles.
“Bernie, this must be distracting from your job,” Miller wrote in a separate X post. “These antics harm your own grandchild. Anytime you want to put a stop to this, you can.”
The Hill reported it had also reached out to Bernie Moreno’s office for comment.
The lawsuit revives attention surrounding previous abuse allegations involving Miller. In 2021, the congressman sued former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham after she wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece that she had experienced abuse during a relationship with a White House aide. Although Grisham did not identify Miller by name, the lawsuit centered on claims that the article referred to him.
In the op-ed, Grisham wrote that then-President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump were aware her relationship had become abusive.
Miller’s attorney responded at the time by saying an independent investigation would show “no proof” of abuse and argued Grisham’s allegations were retaliatory following the end of their relationship.
That lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed by Miller in 2023, according to Cleveland.com.
The latest legal fight now places another deeply personal family conflict into the center of public political warfare, where accusations, media leaks, and courtroom battles increasingly blur together in a climate that leaves little room for privacy — especially for families caught in the crossfire of modern political life.
