The Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL), multiple outlets report.

According to MS NOW, the investigation is related to Mills’ “finances, allegations of misconduct and individuals in his orbit.”

MS NOW contacted Mills about the alleged investigation, and the Florida Republican said he knows “nothing about it.”

MS NOW shared further:

In a brief phone call, he reiterated that he didn’t know anything about an investigation, saying, “This is the first I’m hearing about it,” but he maintained that it shouldn’t have anything to do with any potential campaign finance violations because the Federal Election Commission had already dropped an investigation into him on those grounds.

“The FEC dismissed all the campaign stuff,” Mills said, guessing that the investigation must be about “all the things stemming from the Ethics investigation.”

ADVERTISEMENT

As Mills alluded to, the DOJ probe is just the latest controversy for Mills.

The House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into the congressman in November, with the panel announcing it was expanding the scope of the inquiry to also include potential misuse of office, unreported gifts on official trips overseas, improper favors, and sexual misconduct. Those sexual misconduct allegations included “dating violence” claims that led to a restraining order against Mills granted to an ex-girlfriend. (The restraining order has since lapsed.)

Mills was first elected to represent Florida’s 7th Congressional District in 2022 and is running for re-election in November, with his primary race scheduled for Aug. 18. He has denied any wrongdoing on a number of occasions, including at the Capitol in April when asked by MS NOW about the allegations against him.

Meanwhile, a Tallahassee judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to remove Mills from Florida’s August Republican primary ballot.

FOX 35 Orlando has more:

The lawsuit, filed by Republican challenger Michael Johnson, argued Mills should be disqualified because his candidate qualifying paperwork was notarized in Washington, D.C., rather than in Florida. The challenge relied on a recently enacted state law that created a process for questioning a candidate’s eligibility to appear on the ballot.

Circuit Court Judge J. Lee Marsh ruled the law applies to constitutional qualifications for office, such as age and residency, rather than procedural issues involving candidate qualifying paperwork. As a result, Mills will remain on the ballot for the Aug. primary.

Mills represents Florida’s 7th Congressional District, which includes Seminole County and portions of Volusia County.

The ruling comes as Mills faces a separate investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee into allegations involving campaign finance violations and sexual misconduct. He also is the subject of a temporary restraining order obtained by a former girlfriend, who accused him of threatening to release sexually explicit videos of her.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mills has denied the allegations against him.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.