I cover politics all across the country, but I especially like to keep up with what’s happening in Ohio, where I spent the first 22 years of my life. In 2024, for example, I reported extensively on Republican Bernie Moreno’s campaign to unseat longtime Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown. But just as Moreno was celebrating a hard-fought victory, his daughter was in the early stages of getting divorced from another Ohio Republican, Rep. Max Miller.
“Boy, I bet work is about to get awkward for these guys,” I thought at the time.
Two years later, Moreno is now the senior senator for Ohio, and Miller is campaigning for a third term while still in the throes of a heated custody battle with Moreno’s daughter, Emily. Her court filings paint a troubling picture of Miller, including allegations that he physically and emotionally abused her and possibly abused other women. And that’s just the stuff from their custody case. In all, I went through more than 2,000 pages of police reports and court records about the Cleveland-area congressman. (Content warning: The story also includes details about an investigation into potential child abuse.)
Given the subject matter, this was an incredibly difficult story to write. However, I think it raises important questions about Miller’s fitness for public office, and I hope you’ll give it a read.
—Abby Vesoulis
