Max Miller Sues Ex-Wife and Attorney for Defamation in Divorce and Custody Case

U.S. Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday in Cleveland against his ex-wife Emily Moreno, her attorney Andrew Zashin and the law firm. The complaint seeks compensatory damages exceeding $25,000, punitive damages and attorney's fees. It alleges that Moreno, Zashin and the firm knowingly spread false information about him to the Daily Mail and the New York Post.

According to the filing, those publications reach millions of readers and the resulting stories have been discussed by Miller's constituents, colleagues, supporters, donors and the public. Miller's spokesman said the congressman is seeking to hold those responsible accountable for personal, professional and political harm.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday that he does not get involved in the personal lives of members but noted that Miller has refuted some of the allegations. "He's got to work that out," Johnson told reporters.

The suit marks the latest escalation in the couple's divorce and custody proceedings. Miller and Moreno married in 2022 and had a daughter in 2023. Miller filed for divorce in August 2024 and the divorce was finalized in June. The proceedings included a contentious custody battle in which Miller sought a restraining order against Moreno.

Earlier this month the Daily Mail published allegations from Moreno that included claims Miller threw boiling water at her and published photos of what she said were her injuries. Miller has denied the claims. In a post on X he stated: "The false allegations against me come amidst a personal custody dispute and are simply an attempt to destroy my personal and professional reputation.

Moreno's spokesperson Stefan Mychajliw responded by referencing Miller's prior defamation suit against former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham. Mychajliw said Miller is upset because he tried to silence Moreno the same way he silenced Grisham, and that she will not be silenced.

He added that Miller is running the same playbook against a woman with photographs of her bruises and burns.

Zashin declined to comment. Neither Mychajliw nor the law firm immediately responded to requests for comment.

The current suit echoes Miller's earlier defamation case against Grisham. That suit was filed as he first ran for Congress in 2021. Miller voluntarily dismissed it with prejudice in 2023 while denying the claims.

An incident report from the Bay Village Police Department obtained by NBC News shows an officer was dispatched Feb. 23 to the Miller home to speak with a child protection specialist from the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services about suspected child abuse. The report did not name either parent. Police said the investigation is ongoing.

Miller's lawyer told a local station in April that the county found no evidence of child abuse or neglect. The lawyer added that neither Moreno nor anyone else has demonstrated any evidence against the congressman.

Miller is running for a third term this November against Democrat Brian Poindexter, a local councilman and union ironworker. The senator who is Moreno's father has not publicly responded to Miller's accusations against him on social media. The senator's office declined to comment.