Greater than a month after allegations of home abuse towards Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) first emerged, not a single Republican member of Congress has known as for his resignation regardless of mounting stress from advocacy teams and Democrats.
The silence continued even after Miller’s ex-wife Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), who had beforehand accused Miller of home violence, utilized for a brand new restraining order towards him on Thursday.
Within the request, Moreno alleged that Miller “bodily grabbed” one among her attorneys throughout a listening to earlier this week. The restraining order request follows earlier allegations of abuse detailed in court docket paperwork and reporting claiming Miller held a gun to his ex-wife’s head, scalded her by throwing sizzling water on her physique, and fractured their 2-year-old daughter’s collarbone.
Tom Williams by way of Getty Photographs
Miller, who has served in Congress since 2023, is searching for reelection this November in what was thought of to be a reliably purple district. The Prepare dinner Political Report final month, nevertheless, shifted the score of the race from “Stable Republican” to “Doubtless Republican” as extra accusations surfaced all through his marketing campaign, threatening Republicans’ odds of sustaining the U.S. Home majority.
Miller, in the meantime, has vehemently denied all allegations of abuse. He filed a defamation swimsuit towards Emily Moreno and launched an offensive towards her father on-line. He has not indicated he would contemplate dropping out of the race.
The huge silence from Republicans is a placing distinction to the occasion’s response to misconduct allegations towards Democratic political opponents. Earlier this month, GOP officers and conservative media rapidly condemned ex-Democratic Maine U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner amid mounting sexual assault allegations and experiences of misconduct from former romantic companions, criticizing supporters who initially backed or slow-walked disavowing his marketing campaign. By comparability, allegations towards Miller have drawn no public calls from Republican management for him to step down.
Miller didn’t reply to HuffPost’s request for remark.
A spokesperson for Sen. Bernie Moreno informed HuffPost Friday the senator’s “high precedence is the security and well-being of his daughter and granddaughter.”
“Whereas he doesn’t litigate these issues within the media or reply to baseless public assaults, he’ll do no matter it takes to make sure a simply end result for his household,” the assertion added.
Requested by NOTUS Friday afternoon if Republicans ought to substitute Miller on the ticket, Moreno stated, “I don’t know.”
Senate colleague Jon Husted (R-Ohio) didn’t reply to HuffPost when requested for remark Thursday on whether or not he thinks Miller ought to step down. As he boarded an elevator in a Senate constructing, the Republican stood in silence till the elevator doorways slowly closed.
Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan (R), throughout an interview with Kasie Hunt, defended Miller regardless of extreme abuse allegations and known as it a “household matter,” saying he hopes Miller wins re-election. Pressed on why his assertion differed from the sharp criticism he had of Platner final month, Jordan stumbled in his response.
A spokesperson for Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) additionally didn’t reply to requests for touch upon whether or not the Home Ethics Committee ought to open an investigation or whether or not Miller ought to resign. Johnson, nevertheless, informed reporters at a press convention final week that “the important thing phrase there’s ‘allegation’,” and referred to the Home Ethics Committee’s assessment course of.
Democratic Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine known as the allegations “actually very severe and positively troubling” however stated it ought to finally be as much as voters whether or not Miller stays in workplace.
The lone Republican exception has been Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who informed Newsweek in an announcement Wednesday that the allegations “should be investigated, and if true, he ought to resign instantly.”
Jennifer Bendery contributed to this report.
