House GOP Leadership Stands by Max Miller Amid Abuse Allegations, Calls Him ‘Our Nominee Right Now’

POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C., United States — House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain declared Rep. Max Miller “our nominee right now” during a September 1 appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, even as abuse allegations against the Ohio congressman intensify ahead of the 2024 midterms.

McClain said she hopes the accusations made by Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, are not true, but affirmed her support for his third-term reelection bid, stating, “I will support anyone with an R behind their name.” She added, At the end of the day, he’s our nominee right now.

The Michigan congresswoman acknowledged the difficulty of divorce proceedings, calling them “ugly,” yet emphasized letting “the process play out.” She pivoted to broader GOP priorities, citing economic relief, crime reduction, border security, and eliminating government waste, fraud, and abuse as central to the party’s agenda—and noted Miller has been “a good advocate for his constituents doing that.”

Despite public calls from Republican Senators Katie Britt, Jim Banks, and John Husted urging Miller to withdraw, top GOP leaders continue backing him. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on August 31, “He’s been a great member of Congress.”

The allegations gained national attention after Emily Moreno—daughter of Ohio GOP Senator Bernie Moreno—filed a court motion on July 30 seeking a restraining order to bar Miller from contacting her attorneys. She alleges repeated verbal and physical abuse against herself and their two-year-old daughter, including incidents where Miller allegedly threw boiling water at her, pointed a gun at her, slammed her against a wall, and caused a clavicle fracture and bruising on their child.

In response, Miller dismissed the claims in an August 2 livestream as “incredible, serious and destructive allegations with absolutely no evidence,” asserting each had been previously investigated and that he cooperated fully “because I had nothing to hide.” To counter the allegations—and amid separate accusations from former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham and a high school acquaintance—he released a Dropbox folder containing documents; that folder reportedly included nude images of his daughter, further escalating tensions in the ongoing divorce and custody dispute.

Senator Bernie Moreno described his daughter as living “in constant fear of this man” and said custody exchanges occur at a police station because he does not know “what this guy’s capable of.” He recounted one incident where Miller allegedly refused to return a blue stuffed bunny to his granddaughter, “literally held it hostage” from her, and declared Miller “should not serve in the House of Representatives” and “needs serious psychological help.”

With Republicans holding only a narrow House majority and historical trends showing presidential-party losses in midterms, every seat—including Miller’s Ohio district—is critical to retaining control. The party faces mounting pressure to balance electoral pragmatism with ethical accountability as November approaches.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)