Most Republican candidates who received campaign donations from Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) have not stated whether they will return the funds following allegations of domestic abuse against him. Miller’s Dependable Conservative Leadership PAC has distributed more than $70,000 to 16 GOP incumbents during the current election cycle. The donations were made to candidates competing in several of the most competitive midterm races across the country.
The allegations against Miller were made by his ex-wife, Emily Miller, who is the daughter of Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno. She accused the congressman of assaulting her and their young child. Max Miller has denied these accusations. While some fellow Republicans, including Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, have called for Miller to withdraw from his reelection bid, Miller remains the Republican candidate for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District after a legal deadline to replace him passed last week.
Of the 16 recipients contacted this week, only the campaign for Rep. Brad Finstad (R-MN) confirmed it had returned its $5,000 contribution. A spokesperson for Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who received $10,000, stated the incumbent has no plans to return the money, citing the Democratic challenger’s association with a fundraiser hosted by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) declined to discuss the $2,500 he received, referring to the claims as "allegations." Representatives for the remaining 13 candidates, including Husted, did not return requests for comment.
Individual voters in these districts may see these financial ties become a central theme in local political messaging. In Pennsylvania, for example, Democratic representatives are already using the unreturned funds to question the standards of Republican opponents like Rep. Ryan Mackenzie. Conversely, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has defended the retention of these funds by pointing to Democratic candidates who received money from former Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned earlier this year following different misconduct allegations. This exchange signals that campaign finance ethics will remain a primary tool for both parties to influence voter perception of candidate character through November.
The situation also sets a precedent for how parties handle internal scandals when a legal deadline for candidate replacement has passed. Because Miller stayed in his race past the cutoff date, the Republican party must decide whether to continue supporting a candidate who is now trailing in internal polling in a district that was previously considered safe. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has already shifted resources to Miller's challenger, Brian Poindexter, by adding him to its "red-to-blue" program. The next key dates for these candidates are the general election in November, when the impact of these financial ties and the shift in district competitiveness will be finalized by voters.
Spokespeople for Max Miller’s campaign and PAC did not respond to requests for comment. Despite the allegations, Miller and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) filed a new joint fundraising committee with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) last week, though Luna stated on Tuesday that the committee is currently "not active." Meanwhile, the NRCC continues to advocate for its members, accusing Democrats of hypocrisy regarding their own past fundraising sources.