Max Miller

A new lawsuit accuses Ohio Congressman Max Miller and his attorney of sharing a nude photo of his 2-year-old daughter online as Miller pushes back against domestic violence claims.

The image was included in a trove of documents shared by Miller that are tied to a custody battle with his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, according to the lawsuit filed by Moreno Aug. 12. The photo surfaced in a text exchange between Miller and Moreno and showed their daughter's genitals, the lawsuit states.

"This child is an entirely innocent victim who has become collateral damage to her father's political ambition," said Subodh Chandra, an attorney for Moreno.

A spokesperson for Miller declined to comment.

The lawsuit is the latest escalation in the dispute between Miller and Moreno, the daughter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. Moreno accused the congressman of dousing her with hot water and pointing a gun at her while she changed their daughter's diaper. She also blamed Miller for their daughter's broken collarbone.

Miller denies the allegations and rebuffed calls to abandon his reelection bid for Ohio's 7th Congressional District. He will face Democrat Brian Poindexter in the Nov. 3 election.

The district covers Medina and Ashland counties and parts of Cuyahoga and Wayne counties in Northeast Ohio.

Miller's attorney, Aaron Minc, accepted blame for the photo's release and said Miller didn't know, according to an email exchange included in the court filing. Minc said he reviewed and redacted files before publication to shield the girl's identity and other private information.

Minc could not immediately be reached for comment.

The photo of the girl remained online for 23 hours and could be downloaded by anyone, the lawsuit alleges. Moreno is seeking $150,000 for her daughter for every time someone accessed or downloaded the image.

State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at [email protected] or @haleybemiller on X.