The House Ethics Committee announced it would establish an investigative subcommittee into Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) just hours after a censure motion against him was introduced, setting up a vote on the House floor.
The committee’s investigation said it would look into a myriad of allegations against Mills, including allegations that he violated campaign finance laws, improperly received gifts, special favors, misused congressional resources, and committed sexual misconduct or dating violence. Ethics Committee investigations can often take months or years to complete.
Mills has been accused of domestic violence, stolen valor over a Bronze Star he claims he was awarded, and of financial misconduct, which was outlined in a House Ethics Committee report earlier this year. Mills has denied any wrongdoing.
The announcement from the Ethics panel comes hours after Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced a resolution to censure Mills for “alleged stolen valor, arms deals he’s under investigation for, and alleged abuses toward women,” as she aims to remove him from his committees. Mace introduced her motion as privileged, meaning it has to be voted on within the next two legislative days.
“Congressman Mills is committed to complying with all laws and ethics rules and is pleased that the Federal Election Commission recently dismissed a complaint with similar allegations,” a Mills spokesperson wrote to the Washington Examiner at the time. “We trust the House Ethics Committee will come to a similar conclusion.”
The committee’s investigation could inadvertently sink the censure, as members of the Ethics Committee typically vote ‘present’ if the matter is in front of the committee.
Mace’s censure resolution came after an angered group of Republican women said the three Republicans who voted with all Democrats Tuesday to halt the censure of Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) over her text messages with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2019 were part of a “backroom” deal.
“Tonight, a handful of Republicans took a dive on a vote to strip Stacy Plaskett of her position on House intel because of her ties to Epstein,” Rep. Kat Cammack wrote on X Tuesday night. “They did it to protect a Republican facing his own ethics issues from a similar vote. This backroom deal shit is swampy, wrong and always deserves to be called out.”
Mills has denied any knowledge of a so-called “backroom deal,” saying in a statement that Democrats are using him as a “political pawn.”
“So, with full transparency, my team and I fully expected that a vote to censure me would be brought to the floor yesterday,” Mills said. “We prepared for it. But it never came, which surprised us just as much as anyone else. And let me be perfectly clear: there was no backroom deal, no negotiation, and no quid pro quo of any kind that would have forced the Democrats to stand down on that vote against me. Anyone pushing that narrative is simply wrong.”
The committee had previously announced it was reviewing allegations against Mills earlier this year after a report from the Office of Congressional Conduct found that alleged weapons contracts held by the Republican with the federal government could violate rules.
EVERY HOUSE REPUBLICAN, BAR ONE, VOTES TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES
“The Board recommends that the Committee further review the above allegation concerning Rep. Mills because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Mills may have entered into, enjoyed, or held contracts with federal agencies,” the OCC wrote in its report.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Mills’s office for comment.
Rachel Schilke contributed to this article.
