COLUMBUS, Ohio — The U.S. House Committee on Ethics is investigating Congressman Max Miller for allegations of domestic violence. In a stunning move, he was the one who filed the complaint against himself.
More and more politicians are calling on Congressman Max Miller to resign as scrutiny increases after allegations of abuse have surfaced in a bitter divorce case with his ex-wife Emily Moreno. Her father, Sen. Bernie Moreno, was outspoken to reporters Tuesday.
"This is truly the seventh level of hell," Moreno said. "This has been a horrific experience for my entire family."
RELATED: Republicans unsure what to do about Congressman Max Miller
Calling the situation "grotesque," the senior senator from Ohio
"Absolutely, affirmatively that he shouldn't serve in Congress," Moreno said. "He needs serious help."
Moreno also said Miller and his team members need to be in jail. Miller's attorney, Aaron Minc, apologized and took full responsibility for including an explicit photo of Miller's daughter with documents released to the public on Sunday.
"Releasing photos of my granddaughter completely naked and now you have hundreds of thousands of psychotic human beings that have that — and they say 'Oops,' — is grotesque," Moreno said. "My personal opinion is that this is a felony and that every single human being that touched that photo and transmitted it electronically should go to jail because it is illegal to do that."
Minc, in a statement, said it was completely unintentional and had been swiftly fixed on Monday.
"To be clear, this was completely my fault," Minc said. "I am solely responsible for what happened."
Emily Moreno's team sent a letter to Minc, accusing him of sharing Child Sexual Abuse Material because the "daughter's genitals appear to be visible."
"There were no images of 'genitals.' A two-year-old girl had her shirt off," Minc said. "That is a deliberately false, sensationalized, and disgusting characterization."
Miller has consistently denied the allegations, going on our news partner CNN on Tuesday evening to defend himself.
"This is nothing more than an individual who's being politically vindictive," Miller said about the senator.
To watch the full 25-minute interview, click here.
Now, Miller is making an unprecedented move — filing a congressional ethics complaint against himself.
In a post on social media, he said he was doing this so that his colleagues could investigate him.
"Clear my name from these horrific attacks on myself and family," Miller wrote. "I have absolutely nothing to hide."
Former Case Western Reserve University law professor Jonathan Entin said this move by Miller is unusual.
"He sees it as one way, perhaps, to relieve some of the pressure that he's under, and also as a way to say to people, 'I'm not going anywhere,'" Entin said.
While it could ultimately help Miller, it could do the opposite.
"The ethics committee is allowed to refer matters for prosecution," he said.
The committee can also recommend expulsion or censure.
There continues to be growing tension, which is worrying local, state and federal Republican officials about Miller’s upcoming election.
He represents Ohio's 7th U.S. Congressional District, which includes Cleveland's West Side suburbs, as well as Medina, Wayne and Ashland Counties.
"If he continues to run, this will be up to the voters of his district," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday.
RELATED: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine 'troubled' by Max Miller abuse allegations, says it's up to voters
While DeWine says the allegations are troubling, he isn’t calling for him to resign. Still, he is thinking about the impact on Miller's two-year-old daughter.
"What's sad about it is any time you have a domestic dispute, particularly one that's public, you worry about the child or what impact it has on the child, and that's what is sad about it," the governor said.
Legal challenges are mounting, as Miller’s ex-girlfriend and former Trump spokesperson Stephanie Grisham has filed for a restraining order against the congressman. This comes after suing Miller in July over allegedly breaking their nondisclosure agreement in a previous settled lawsuit that accused Miller of abusive behavior.
RELATED: Ohio Congressman Max Miller is being sued amid domestic violence allegations
Now, Miller faces an August 10 deadline to decide if he will stay in the race, which looks likely. It seems logical to Entin.
"He feels as though he can't walk away because that will effectively concede that he is in the wrong," Entin said.
Miller told CNN that he will not be dropping out, adding that he told President Donald Trump that he can win his race.
"I am going to be successful in this November because my constituents know who I am," Miller said.
Follow Statehouse and Columbus bureau reporter Morgan Trau on X, Instagram and Facebook. Email her at Morgan.Trau@wews.com.
