Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) on Tuesday forcefully rejected accusations of domestic violence and illegal drug use, vowing to remain in his reelection campaign despite a fresh House Ethics Committee probe and mounting pressure from both parties.
In a combative interview on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper," Miller acknowledged past use of illegal substances but insisted he no longer uses them. When pressed on when he last used drugs, Miller said: "I would have to say, the last time I had illegal drugs would have been, I don't know, several years ago. I mean I don't have a time frame on it, but I don't use illegal drugs." He sought to link the allegations to testosterone replacement therapy, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently authorized for male service members. "People are painting this as something that it's not," Miller said. "That's what I was doing. I have not been using any illegal drugs. This is nonsense."
The congressman also denied allegations from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, that he threw scalding hot water at her, pointed a gun at her head, and broke their daughter's collarbone. The couple divorced in 2025 and are embroiled in a bitter custody dispute. Miller's ex-father-in-law, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), has called for his resignation, saying his daughter lives "in constant fear of this man. Not like something that's existential, but deeply in her heart, she fears what this guy is capable of."
Sen. Moreno also shared a poignant anecdote about his granddaughter, alleging that Miller refused to return her "little blue bunny" stuffed animal for 48 hours, causing the child to cry at night. "This is the level of total and complete depravity," Moreno said. Miller denied the story on CNN, telling Tapper it wasn't true.
Miller has insisted he will not drop out, even as GOP anxiety over his candidacy grows. He said he received a call from former President Trump, who warned him the race would be tough. Miller responded by invoking Trump's own 2016 resilience, saying he reminded Trump of "the same resilience that he had when people told him that he was going to struggle in 2016, and he became the 45th president of the United States."
Despite the controversy, Miller maintains his constituents support him. "I have the utmost confidence that my constituents back home know me," he said. "What you're going to see here, Jake, is that I am going to be successful in this November because my constituents know who I am, and they also know who my ex-father-in-law is, and they also know who my ex-wife is." He noted that Speaker Mike Johnson and others are standing behind him, and no one has asked him to leave the ballot.
The race is tightening. A GOP poll leaked to NOTUS showed Miller trailing Democratic challenger Brian Poindexter by 5 points, with 44 percent to 39 percent, and 16 percent undecided. The Hill has not independently verified that poll. Ohio Republicans face a critical test as they weigh loyalty to Miller against electoral viability.
When asked if anyone in his life had suggested he drop out, Miller was adamant: "I'm never going to give up." He framed his fight as a matter of personal integrity. "At the end of the day, you know, I let the truth speak for itself, and the truth is right there. And I will never, ever, ever let my baby girl see her dad walk away as a quitter," he said. "I will continue to finish this, and if I have to run all the way to the end and I'm not successful, Jake, then that's a decision that I decide to make, and I can hold my head way up high, knowing that I fought for the truth."
The House Ethics Committee announced its investigation shortly before the interview, adding to the political peril. Sen. Moreno has demanded Miller resign, and gun control group GIFFORDS has also called for his exit. The coming weeks will test whether Miller can weather the storm or whether the allegations prove too damaging for his reelection hopes.
