A lawyer for Rep. Max Miller’s ex-wife has asked a judge to issue a restraining order against the congressman, alleging that Miller grabbed him and another attorney’s bag on Tuesday. The filing alleges the incident, which it said occurred outside an Ohio courtroom where Miller and his ex-wife had attended a hearing in their long-run legal battle, was the second time the Congressman accosted his ex-wife’s attorneys after a court proceeding.

Background

In May, the filing alleged, Miller made a crude comment about his ex-wife’s attorney’s fiancee. The request for a restraining order is the latest turn in a contentious and highly public custody battle between Miller and his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, daughter of Ohio’s Senior senator Bernie Moreno. Emily Moreno has accused her husband of abuse; Miller has denied the claims and countered that his ex-wife struggles with bipolar disorder, an allegation Moreno’s lawyer denied.

The latest filing, though, describes an encounter not between the two of them, but the congressman and his ex-wife’s attorneys, particularly lawyer Andrew Zashin. Miller sued Moreno and Zashin earlier this year for defamation. According to the filing, during a conversation between the parties in the hallway, Miller “physically grabbed Attorney Zashin in an effort to get his attention while [Miller] simultaneously made reference to Zashin’s fiancée.” The filing also alleges that Miller “grabbed” another attorney’s bag to get his attention.

Consequences

Miller’s legal battle with his ex-wife and the allegations it has unearthed have roiled his reelection bid in what has long been considered a solidly Republican congressional seat. Democratic legislators, including the Democratic Women’s Caucus, have called for a formal Ethics investigation into Miller.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.