Growing scrutiny has fallen on Senator Bernie Moreno (R-OH) — who unseated three-term Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown in 2024 — over his public silence regarding allegations that his daughter, Emily Moreno, was physically abused by her then-husband, Representative Max Miller (R-OH). On Friday, a Democratic strategist offered a theory to explain the senator's reticence.

"THIS is why Bernie Moreno has been silent," wrote Ally Sammarco, founder of ARS Media, in a July 31 post 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."

The Associated Press, after examining data from a widely publicized breach of the website Adult Friend Finder, identified an account created with Moreno's work email address under the username "nardo19672." The outlet reported that the username "appears to refer to Moreno's full first name, Bernardo, as well as the year and month of his birth in February 1967." The account's profile indicated the user was seeking "Men for 1-on-1 sex."

Moreno has publicly criticized LGBTQ advocates, accusing them of advancing "radical" agendas of "indoctrination" — a notable departure from the comparatively pro-LGBTQ stances he held prior to launching his first Senate campaign in 2021.

Miller, a former Trump White House aide who is now Moreno's ex-son-in-law, has faced accusations of physically abusing Emily Moreno during their marriage. The allegations include claims that he beat her, held a gun to her head, and threw boiling water on her. Miller has previously denied these allegations, which have surfaced in court records and a civil lawsuit.

According to Mother Jones, court records also revealed an alleged text message in which Miller appeared to implicitly threaten Moreno: "Take this however you want, everyone is going to get to know you better than your wife does. Enjoy the ride brother, I wouldn't have to do this if you could keep your lying daughter under control."

Sammarco's theory — that the alleged Adult Friend Finder profile gives Miller leverage over Moreno — drew agreement from several public figures.

Grant Stern, executive editor of Occupy Democrats, wrote on X: "No wonder Republicans do nothing with total control of the federal government! They're too busy extorting, wife beating, and cheating."

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova argued the theory "explains a lot," adding: "Seems there is a lot of closeted gay men in the GOP – shame on their hypocrisy."

Democratic strategist Mike Nellis expressed bewilderment at Moreno's silence, posting on X: "I don't understand Bernie Moreno at all. 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."

Claude Taylor, a Democratic activist and former Clinton White House staffer, referenced Moreno's recent public criticism of Dr. Anthony Fauci: "Rather than disrespecting Dr Fauci, [Moreno] should respect that Anthony Fauci was a pioneer in the 1980 battle against AIDS. As a closeted gay man he should appreciate that fact."

— Ally Sammarco (@Ally_Sammarco) July 31, 2026