CLEVELAND — Four Cleveland-area television stations have aired a campaign advertisement from Democratic congressional candidate Brian Poindexter that focuses on domestic abuse allegations made against Republican Rep. Max Miller by his former wife. WKYC, WEWS, WJW and WOIO broadcast the 30-second ad Tuesday morning, according to AdImpact, an advertising-tracking firm. The spot, paid for by the Poindexter campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, features a local sheriff recounting allegations made by Emily Moreno, Miller’s ex-wife and the daughter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. Miller has repeatedly denied the allegations. The broadcasts came after a lawyer for Miller sent a cease-and-desist letter to WKYC demanding that the station not air what the letter described as “false, malicious, and defamatory statements.” Miller spokesperson Abigail Angelos said the advertisement “is filled with lies” and that its claims are “entirely unsubstantiated and contradicted by evidence.” WEWS said Monday that its legal team had reviewed the advertisement and would allow it to run. The station cited Federal Communications Commission rules that prohibit broadcasters from censoring advertisements purchased by legally qualified candidates. Representatives of the four stations did not immediately comment on the broadcasts. Poindexter responded to the legal warning in a campaign video by tearing up the cease-and-desist letter. The dispute marks a sharp turn in a race that had previously centered on Poindexter’s working-class background and the cost of living. The Democratic campaign is now using Miller’s family dispute as a central issue, while Miller’s campaign and the National Republican Congressional Committee have aired advertisements attacking Poindexter over past encounters with law enforcement. NRCC spokesperson Zach Bannon called Poindexter “completely out of touch with Northeast Ohio” and labeled him a “life-long criminal” who supports a “radical far-left socialist agenda.” The Poindexter campaign and the DCCC have defended their advertisement, with DCCC spokesperson Riya Vashi accusing Miller of using financial power and lawyers to try to suppress scrutiny. The competing ads underscore how personal the contest has become as Ohio voters prepare to choose between Miller, the Republican incumbent, and Poindexter, his Democratic challenger. Allegations in political advertising remain claims unless established through evidence or legal findings, and Miller continues to dispute the accusations.