Scandal-Scarred Congressman Max Miller May Drop Re-Election Bid in Days, Sources Tell Axios

Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) could quit his bid to stay in Congress “by the end of this week,” sources behind the scenes have predicted to Axios.

The scandal-plagued Miller, 43, has been locked in a contentious, headline-making divorce rife with domestic abuse allegations from Emily Moreno, whose father is Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH).

His backers insisted to Axios that Miller — who just plowed $1 million into his re-election bid — isn’t going anywhere precisely because he is innocent.

“He’s really worried about what his daughter is going to think when she gets older,” one colleague told the outlet, while another source told Axios: “If he quits, he’s basically giving up. And if he gives up, it basically means he did it.”

Yet Republicans “privately expect that Miller will drop his reelection bid by the end of this week,” Axios reported, citing two sources.

Miller has vehemently and repeatedly denied domestic abuse allegations, which included claims he scalded Emily Moreno with hot water from a skillet, pointed a gun at her head and broke their toddler’s collarbone.

He was even accused of refusing to return the 2-year-old girl’s stuffed blue bunny, an accusation from Bernie Moreno that Miller slammed as a “lie.”

The Ohio congressman first took office in January 2023, but a recent poll showed his Democratic opponent, Brian Poindexter, with a significant lead among likely voters in the general election with 47% backing the Democrat to just 33% for Miller.

In a recent interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Miller again insisted on his innocence. The appearance prompted widespread criticism, including from one GOP operative who reportedly told CNN: “What the absolute f*ck was that?”

Days later, Miller proclaimed he would open an ethics investigation into himself.

“In light of all the renewed interest in my family affairs I am going to file my own paperwork for an ethics investigation into myself to clear my name from these horrific attacks on myself and family. I have absolutely nothing to hide,” Miller wrote on social media Tuesday.

Miller’s reps could not immediately be reached for comment on the Axios report.

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It is - but color me skeptical he actually does drop out. I.e., I suspect the “sources” Axios are leaning on are more likely “We’d dearly LOVE for him to drop out and we are trying everything in our power to force him to do so...”

You don’t need to loan your campaign 1m to prepare a “Upon reflection...” statement.

I think he’s made a fool of himself this week — I don’t know what rational world he thought releases those text message exchanges helped his case and his interviews have been a disaster.

I hope he does drop out. But I don’t think he’s going to do so.

To me, his stupid twitter fight with Moreno was instructive.

Granted, maybe you can say Moreno started it by bringing up getting a stuffed animal to his daughter — but what color is the sky in Max’s world where he thinks sharing a text exchange where he refuses to send the toy to someone sent to pick it up isn’t on the “approved list” from a “parental coordinator”?!?!

Having had kids myself - and scrambling over a lost favorite toddler toy - gimme a break. Did he think some nefarious operative was going to steal it?

Monday is the deadline to replace him, if he resigns.

Aug. 10* Political party or independent candidate nominating committees must certify name of person to fill vacancy on November 3 General Election ballot caused by withdrawal or disqualification of candidate by 4 p.m. (86 days before general election)

Important notes:

Must happen at least 86 days before Election Day
2 days notice of the caucus meeting (.ie must be called today to be held on Sunday)
They need a majority of the members of the district committee to show up.

Section 3513.31 | Withdrawal, disqualification, or death of candidate prior to general election.
Ohio Revised Code/Title 35 Elections/Chapter 3513 Primaries; Nominations

(B) If a person nominated in a primary election as a party candidate for election at the next general election, whose candidacy is to be submitted to the electors of a district comprised of more than one county but less than all of the counties of the state, withdraws as that candidate or is disqualified as that candidate under section 3513.052 of the Revised Code, the vacancy in the party nomination so created may be filled by a district committee of the major political party that made the nomination at the primary election, if the committee’s chairperson and secretary certify the name of the person selected to fill the vacancy by the time specified in this division, at a meeting called for that purpose.

The district committee shall consist of the chairperson and secretary of the county central committee of such political party in each county in the district.

The district committee shall be called by the chairperson of the county central committee of such political party of the most populous county in the district, who shall give each member of the district committee at least two days’ notice of the time, place, and purpose of the meeting.

If a majority of the members of the district committee are present at the district committee meeting, a majority of those present may select a person to fill the vacancy.

The chairperson and secretary of the meeting shall certify in writing and under oath to the board of elections of the most populous county in the district, not later than four p.m. of the eighty-sixth day before the day of the general election, the name of the person selected to fill the vacancy.

“Sources”

I am not at all sure if he stays he loses.

1) DemoKKKrats have conditioned the public since Clinton that this kind of stuff “doesn’t matter.”

2) Trump, with an equally damning “Access Hollywood” video-—but six weeks further into the election, still recovered.

3) I’m not sure he would have requested a House inquiry if he was just going to quit. I had this a loss, but am moving back to a tossup. At any rate, I have GOP at 221 without him.

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