By Mike Spector
NEW YORK, Aug 2 (Reuters) – U.S. Representative Max Miller of Ohio “is a danger” to his ex-wife and should not serve in Congress, U.S. Senator Bernie Moreno, a fellow Ohio Republican, said on Sunday while addressing abuse allegations lodged against his former son-in-law.
Moreno, whose daughter Emily was married to Miller until last year, said he owed it to his family to “speak the truth now” about Miller. Calling the previous two years “pure hell” for his family, Moreno wrote in a social media post that Miller “is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter.”
“If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them. He should not serve in the House of Representatives,” Moreno wrote. “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.”
Miller has denied the allegations. His spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but in a social media post of his own on Sunday, Miller disputed his ex-wife’s allegations in a video recording and vowed to remain in his congressional race.
Moreno’s broadside against Miller marked a significant departure from his previous attempts to sidestep a drumbeat of abuse allegations engulfing the Republican congressman. Emily Moreno has alleged that Miller burned her with boiling hot water and physically abused her and their toddler daughter.
Moreno previously said he would “not litigate these matters in the media” and that he would prioritize the safety and well-being of his daughter and granddaughter. While the senator hoped to keep the matter private, Miller’s “increasingly erratic and dangerous behavior has made that impossible,” Moreno wrote on Sunday.
Miller and Moreno both owe their political rise to close associations with President Donald Trump. The allegations against Miller threaten to put what had been a safe Republican seat in play for Democrats in this November’s midterm elections.
Democrats only need to flip a handful of seats to regain control of the House of Representatives, where Republicans currently hold a 218 to 214 edge, with three seats vacant.
(Reporting by Mike Spector in New York; Additional reporting by Tim Reid in Washington and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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