Rep. Max Miller's ex-wife filed a federal lawsuit accusing Miller and his attorney of publishing an explicit photo of the couple's 2-year-old daughter in a public Dropbox folder that remained downloadable for roughly 23 hours. The suit alleges the image was included among files Miller provided to rebut abuse claims; attorney Aaron Minc has apologized in court records, saying the failure to redact the files was his fault. Moreno seeks $150,000 in damages as the matter unfolds amid a House Ethics Committee probe and Miller's re-election bid.
Rep. Max Miller Sued By Ex-Wife Over Publication Of Explicit Photo Of Their 2-Year-Old
FILE - Rep.-elect Max Miller, R-Ohio, arrives for new member orientation check-in and program registration with Emily Moreno in Washington, Nov. 13, 2022. via Associated Press
The ex-wife of Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday alleging that Miller and his attorney, Aaron Minc, published an explicit photo of the couple's 2-year-old daughter in a publicly accessible Dropbox folder. The complaint says the image — which Moreno says she originally sent to document an injury — was viewable and downloadable for roughly 23 hours and may have been seen by a large online audience.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
Court filings say Miller provided a trove of documents to his lawyer and asked that they be made public to argue his innocence against abuse allegations. The files were organized under headings such as "child abuse allegations" and "domestic violence allegations" and included text messages, emails and transcripts of recorded conversations.
According to the complaint, the explicit photo was part of that collection. Emily Moreno alleges Miller "intent on publicly trashing his ex-wife, he disregarded his daughter and recklessly failed to review the folder he shared with her intimate image, before sharing it with the world." The suit says Miller appeared to rely on the sheer volume of material to cast doubt on multiple abuse claims.
Attorney Apology And Damage Claim
Miller and Minc did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Court records include an email from Minc in which he accepted responsibility for the failure to redact the files:
"I am truly sorry and deeply regret the error. It was completely my fault and unintentional. ...I was the only person responsible for assembling, creating, reviewing, adding, deleting, or making any changes to the information that was in this folder."
On behalf of their daughter, Moreno is seeking $150,000 in statutory damages for emotional distress and reputational harm, among other relief.
Context And Ongoing Investigations
The lawsuit is the latest development in a bitter dispute between Miller and Emily Moreno, who is identified in court papers as the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio). Moreno has accused Miller of physical and emotional abuse, including allegations that he once held a gun to her head and that he injured their child. Those claims are under review by the House Ethics Committee.
Miller, who represents Ohio's 7th Congressional District and is running for re-election, has refused to withdraw from the race and has already passed the deadline to do so. Court records indicate the child was later diagnosed with a broken collarbone after the incident Moreno photographed.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence in the U.S., contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
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