COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Rep. Max Miller of Ohio resisted pressure Wednesday to exit his reelection campaign for Congress, even as anxiety over his electability was growing within his own party.
Miller is facing a congressional ethics investigation related to domestic abuse allegations leveled against him by his ex-wife but is insisting he won’t withdraw. “I’m not going anywhere,” he told CNN on Wednesday.
The second-term congressman’s actions in a parade of public appearances — beginning with a livestream from his X account Sunday — are heightening concerns among Republicans, who have only until Monday to replace Miller on the November ballot if he were to change his mind and withdraw.
Some senior House Republican campaign strategists worry that Miller’s chances of reelection in the competitive Cleveland-area district have vanished in light of the renewed attention on the allegations and his attempts to defend himself, according to a source familiar with the strategists’ thinking who requested anonymity to discuss internal party deliberations.
Messages left for Miller were not returned.
Miller said in a CNN interview earlier this week that he had spoken about his reelection prospects with President Donald Trump, who told him, “I don’t know if you’re going to be able to, you know, pull this one out.”
Miller, a senior adviser to Trump during his first term, said he believes he retains strong support within his district and can raise the money needed for a winning campaign. Miller has so far raised about $2.1 million, compared to his opponent’s $603,000, according to federal filings.
“There’s no chance that I’m removing myself from this race,” even if Trump were to ask him to step aside, Miller said in a Newsmax interview Tuesday evening.
READ MORE: Sen. Bernie Moreno says former son-in-law Max Miller should not serve in the House
He had previewed his decision to stay the course over the weekend when he went live on the social platform X and posted a huge cache of documents related to the divorce and custody cases involving him and his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Republican U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno.
Democrats view the fresh scrutiny on the long-running custody battle and Miller’s public attempts to defend himself as a potential opening to flip a seat as they seek to retake control of the U.S. House in this year’s midterms.
Miller’s Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter, a union ironworker, capitalized on the controversy in a pitch to potential donors Wednesday. He accused Miller of “moral bankruptcy.”
“His own party won’t stand behind him. His own family has said he’s not fit to serve,” he said, referring to comments by Sen. Moreno, who said the congressman lacks “the basic standards of character required to hold elected office.”
To allow his party to name a replacement by a 4 p.m. Monday deadline, Miller would have to formally withdraw by sometime Saturday. That’s to give enough time for the required 48-hour notice of a meeting of the Republican Party chairs from the four Ohio counties in his district who would name his replacement.
On Tuesday, the House Ethics Committee announced it had opened an investigation into whether he “may have engaged in domestic violence and abuse or illegal drug use.” A group of Democratic lawmakers had also said they wanted an investigation into Miller’s conduct. Earlier, Miller himself called for review by the House panel.
The committee’s announcement came a day after it recommended another lawmaker be censured after finding he had engaged in inappropriate behavior with young female aides.
The accusations against Miller by Emily Moreno and by a former girlfriend, one-time White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, have been public for years but have drawn increased scrutiny in recent weeks. Emily Moreno has said Miller scalded, hit and threatened her while they were married, allegations Miller has denied.
Miller also said he had nothing to do with a recent broken collarbone on their 2-year-old daughter that led Emily Moreno to contact authorities.
