Max Miller

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Max Miller’s ex-wife is asking a Cuyahoga County judge to order the congressman to stay away from her attorney after she says he made physical contact with the lawyer after a court hearing this week.

In a sworn affidavit filed with the July 30 restraining order request, Miller’s ex-wife, Emily Moreno, said Miller’s attorney, Larry Zukerman, told a July 28 hearing that Miller “just can’t control himself.”

Her affidavit says Miller then placed his hands on her attorney, Andrew Zashin, prompting her to tell Miller, “Get your hands off of him.”

The request for the restraining order describes a May 7 incident where Miller accosted Zashin in a courthouse hallway, described Zashin’s fiancée as “not much of a looker,” and “further insinuated that she was a prostitute by claiming that he could find lots of women like Attorney Zashin’s fiancée on a street corner for $10.”

It also says that Miller interrupted the July 28 hearing with an offer to personally autograph a book authored by Miller’s ex-girlfriend, former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, who accused him of domestic abuse.

Moreno’s affidavit said Miller has harassed, threatened and communicated directly with Zashin and her two previous attorneys and will continue to do so unless a court intervenes. Moreno is the daughter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, a Westlake Republican.

Cleveland.com has reached out to Zashin and a Miller press spokesperson for comment on the restraining order request under consideration by Judge Debra Boros. Boros on Thursday scheduled multiple trial dates for their child custody dispute, starting on Nov. 5, two days after voters decide whether to re-elect Miller, of Bay Village.

In May, Miller sued Moreno and Zashin for defamation, claiming they falsely portrayed him as a domestic abuser in statements to national media outlets. Moreno has accused her ex-husband of physical abuse during their marriage, including an incident in which she said he threw hot water on her from a skillet.

Judge Joy Kennedy dismissed Zashin from that lawsuit without prejudice on July 20, All claims against Moreno remain pending.

Miller’s defamation suit says no judicial finding has ever established that he committed domestic violence against Moreno and that he has not faced criminal charges over her claims. It also says a Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services investigation into abuse allegations involving the couple’s daughter was closed as unsubstantiated.

The allegations have prompted bipartisan calls for a House Ethics Committee investigation of Miller. The Democratic Women’s Caucus called the claims “deeply disturbing” and said “Congress can’t ignore them.” U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, a Warrensville Heights Democrat who represents a district next to Miller’s, called the allegations “serious and deeply disturbing.” South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace said they “must be investigated, and if true, he should resign immediately.”

Miller spokeswoman Abigail Angelos has rejected the calls for a probe, saying “the court has continued to permit him joint custody of his child” and that Miller “will continue to vigorously defend his reputation against false and reckless allegations.”