Critics have increasingly questioned the silence of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) regarding reports that his daughter, Emily Moreno, was allegedly abused by her husband, Rep. Max Miller (R-OH), but on Friday, a Democratic strategist said they believe they've figured out why.
“THIS is why Bernie Moreno has been silent,” wrote Democratic strategist Ally Sammarco, founder of ARS Media, in a social media post Friday on X.
“In March 2024, the AP reported that he used a work email to create a dating profile looking for gay sex. Max Miller has some dirt on him.”
After reviewing a “massive and well-publicized data breach” of a “casual sexual encounters website” known as Adult Friend Finder, the Associated Press discovered an account created using Moreno’s email account with the username “nardo19672,” which the outlet noted “appears to refer to Moreno’s full first name, Bernardo, as well as the year and month of his birth in February 1967.” The user indicated they were seeking “Men for 1-on-1 sex.”
Moreno has exhibited animosity toward the LGBTQ community, accusing LGBTQ advocates of pushing "radical" agendas of “indoctrination,” a radical shift from his previously seemingly pro-LGBTQ positions that began with his first bid for Senate in 2021.
Miller, Moreno’s ex-son-in-law, has been accused of physically abusing his ex-wife, Moreno’s daughter. Miller was alleged to have beaten her, held a gun to her head and thrown boiling water on her, claims Miller has previously denied.
Recent reporting has also revealed that Miller had “implicitly threatened” Moreno, Mother Jones reported, via an alleged text message uncovered in court records.
“Take this however you want, everyone is going to get to know you better than your wife does,” Miller allegedly wrote to Moreno, according to Mother Jones. “Enjoy the ride brother, I wouldn’t have to do this if you could keep your lying daughter under control.”
Moreno’s alleged profile on Adult Friend Finder, coupled with Miller’s alleged threats toward his ex-father-in-law, led a number of notable figures to concur with Sammarco’s theory.
“No wonder Republicans do nothing with total control of the federal government!” wrote Grant Stern, executive editor of Occupy Democrats, in a social media post on X. “They're too busy extorting, wife beating, and cheating.”
Martina Navratilova, a professional tennis icon, argued that Sammarco’s theory “explains a lot.”
“Seems there is a lot of closeted gay men in the GOP – shame on their hypocrisy,” she wrote.
Democratic strategist Mike Nellis largely expressed confusion over Moreno’s silence regarding the alleged abuse of his own daughter.
“I don't understand Bernie Moreno at all,” Nellis wrote. “If you harmed a hair on my kid's head, I would crawl through broken glass to beat your a-- and care very little about the consequences. This guy can't even say that his daughter's attacker shouldn't run for reelection.”
And Claude Taylor, a Democratic political activist and former White House staffer under the Clinton administration, took an especially sharp dig at Moreno, referencing his recent attack on Anthony Fauci.
“Rather than disrespecting Dr Fauci, [Moreno] should respect that Anthony Fauci was a pioneer in the 1980 battle against AIDS,” Taylor wrote. “As a closeted gay man he should appreciate that fact.”
THIS is why Bernie Moreno has been silent.
In March 2024, the AP reported that he used a work email to create a dating profile looking for gay sex.
Max Miller has some dirt on him.https://t.co/cnBPnt4UsU
— Ally Sammarco (@Ally_Sammarco) July 31, 2026
