Republican Rep. Max Miller spent Monday morning in an Ohio courtroom via Zoom rather than on the campaign trail, facing questions in a legal dispute with his former girlfriend, Stephanie Grisham, a former White House press secretary. It was the second time in less than a week that the embattled congressman had appeared in county court.
Miller and Grisham face questions over settlement agreement
As House lawmakers returned to Washington for a sprint ahead of the midterm elections, Miller joined the hearing from Washington, DC, to address whether he violated a 2023 settlement agreement with Grisham. The agreement followed Grisham’s allegation that Miller abused her, which he denied before suing her for defamation. Under the settlement, both Grisham and Miller agreed not to disparage each other publicly.
The hearing is the latest legal challenge facing Miller as he seeks reelection in a district that former President Donald Trump won by more than 10 points in 2024. Republicans now fear the district could become competitive because of Miller’s legal and personal troubles. Some Senate Republicans have called for him to step down, although Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN on Monday that he supports Miller’s reelection campaign, calling him “a great member of Congress.”
Miller is also involved in a bitter custody dispute with his former wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno. She has accused Miller of abuse, including holding a gun to her while their daughter was an infant. Miller has denied the allegations and appeared in person in that custody case last week.
During Monday’s hearing in the wood-paneled courtroom, Miller faced questions about his social media activity, recent media interviews and whether he called Grisham a liar after the two reached their 2023 settlement.
After several hours of testimony, the judge issued preliminary injunctions against both Miller and Grisham. The order required both parties to remove numerous social media posts that could be interpreted as disparaging the other.
Social media post becomes central to dispute
Miller was questioned about a May 7 post from his X account describing audio of Emily Moreno discussing allegations Grisham had made against the congressman. The post accompanying the audio read, “here is a recording from 2024. In it, Ms. Emily Moreno admits 1.) everything alleged by Stephanie Grisham was fabricated.”
Grisham told the court that the post damaged her reputation and undermined the peace she had sought after the 2023 settlement.
“When a sitting member of Congress calls you a liar, that is a pretty big deal in political circles,” Grisham testified.
Miller argued that he had not personally posted the material and said he does not have social media applications on his cellphone. He also said the demands of his job left him too busy to monitor constant social media updates, blaming staff members for the May 7 posts.
“I didn’t instruct them to do this, period. They just did it,” Miller said of the posts. “You are making it seem like Twitter is 90 percent of a congressman’s job.”
CNN interview examined in court
The congressman was also questioned about two news interviews, including an appearance with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
During that interview, Tapper asked Miller directly about allegations from Grisham and Moreno and whether viewers were expected to believe the women were lying. Miller told Tapper “yes,” which Grisham’s attorneys argued violated the settlement agreement.
At another point in the interview, Miller said he could not discuss details of Grisham’s allegations because the two had reached a settlement agreement.
Miller argued that he was defending himself in the interviews and said Grisham had disparaged him first in the court of public opinion. He also contended that public accusations can cause reputational damage even when they are untrue.
“We live in a society where the court of public opinion matters more than facts, at least in my world,” he told the court.
Grisham denies post referred to Miller
Miller’s attorney, Adam Brown, argued that Grisham had posted about Miller on April 22 without naming him. Brown cited a post in which Grisham wrote on X, “Today I feel broken over what so many men with money and power get away with over & over & over,” with a broken heart emoji. “Almost worse is those of you who know & do/say nothing as it happens time & again.”
The post appeared on the same day TMZ published a story about Miller under the headline “police investigate child neglect claims in nasty custody battle.”
Grisham testified that the post was not about Miller. She said it referred instead to developments in the continuing controversy surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which has remained a frequent subject of news coverage.
Grisham also told the court that Miller’s statements had affected her personal and professional life. She said her anxiety had worsened and that she had frequently declined television opportunities because she feared being asked about Miller, a subject she said she could not address under the settlement agreement.
“It has been horrible,” she said.
