Don't forget': 100,000 robocalls are targeting Max Miller's voters over domestic abuse allegations

NewsDomestic abuse allegations against Congressman Max Miller are now officially a campaign issueThe domestic abuse allegations against U.S. Rep. Max Miller keep making headlines, and Today in Ohio hosts say a chief reason is that Miller keeps doing things that push them back into the news cycle. Screen grabBy Today in Ohiocleveland.comCongressman Max Miller’s flawed legal strategy has kept domestic abuse allegations against him in the new for weeks, and now a robocall campaign will bring the allegations directly to the voters.Today in Ohio podcast hosts say Miller has only himself to blame.The latest news on Miller is that a wave of 100,000 robocalls is being launched by the Battleground Alliance PAC, a Democratic-aligned group backed by major labor unions. The calls target Miller’s congressional seat with a blunt and direct message about the domestic abuse allegations made against him by two women — his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, and his former girlfriend, Stephanie Grisham.Lisa Garvin, reading directly from the robocall on the podcast, quoted its most pointed line: “He’s counting on you to forget what these women said. Don’t.”The Battleground Alliance PAC was established to help Democrats take back the U.S. House and is active in 40 congressional districts across the country. In Ohio, they’re also targeting the 10th district represented by Mike Turner and the 15th near Columbus represented by Mike Carey. The PAC is backed by the Service Employees International Union, the Communications Workers of America, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, and others.Miller’s camp fired back, with spokeswoman Abigail Angelo calling the robocall effort “vile, desperate and frankly untrue,” and demanding that Democratic challenger Brian Poindexter disavow the calls. Miller has maintained that the allegations have not interfered with his work as a congressman and that he hasn’t received constituent complaints about his personal life.But host Chris Quinn said Miller has been his own worst enemy, with repeated court filings that bring the issues back to the attention of Northeast Ohio.“There’s so much smoke on here now that I would think voters would just say there’s too much to worry about with you,” Quinn said. “Strategically, he has bumbled terribly. He keeps forcing this stuff back into the newsosphere with his foolish legal maneuverings in court. So it’s not just that there’s a lot of evidence building that he’s abusive of women. It’s also that he’s kind of a moron.”Political scandals rise and fizzle in the media cycle. Stories fade when the principals stop making news. Miller’s legal strategy has done the opposite, repeatedly surfacing the allegations in court coverage and news reports, keeping them fresh in the minds of voters and giving opposition groups fresh material to work with.Miller attempted to deflect by noting that contentious divorces can produce false allegations. Quinn pushed back immediately: “The first person wasn’t in a divorce. She wrote a book.” That’s a reference to Grisham, the former White House Press Secretary whose memoir included allegations against Miller, and whom Miller subsequently sued for defamation — a legal move that generated more headlines.Garvin noted that many voters may not be following this story as closely as political observers are, which likely explains the robocall strategy. It’s a direct line into the ears and screens of likely voters in a district where the margin could be razor-thin. And the message is simple: Don’t forget.Listen to the conversation here.‘Shame on Keith Faber:’ The FirstEnergy trial is on the November ballot whether he likes it or notCuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad ThursdayHow students built a new radio station from scratch after CSU gave away WCSBListen to full “Today in Ohio” episodes where Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with Editorial Board member Lisa Garvin, Impact Editor Leila Atassi and Content Director Laura Johnston.