The Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., according to two sources familiar with the matter, adding to the mounting legal and ethical scrutiny facing the embattled congressman.
The sources didn’t disclose the focus of the DOJ investigation. But a third source told MS NOW at least one person was contacted by the FBI last year about Mills’ finances, allegations of misconduct and individuals in his orbit.
The Justice Department investigation comes as Mills stares down an ongoing investigation from the House Ethics Committee, which is looking into allegations that include campaign finance violations, sexual misconduct, accepting improper gifts, financial disclosure violations and the misuse of congressional resources.
The DOJ and FBI declined to comment. When MS NOW contacted Mills on Tuesday to ask if he had any comment on the ongoing investigation, Mills responded via text, “I know nothing about it.”
In a brief phone call, he reiterated that he didn’t know anything about an investigation — “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 FEC 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.”
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 reelection 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.
“I have no open cases, criminal and or civil, anywhere in any state across the country,” Mills said. “I have not been indicted and or accused of any type of financial fraud with regards to federal funds or otherwise.”
“Every case has been closed. I was found innocent with no probable cause. And I’m gonna let the due process fail,” he said of the Ethics Committee investigation.
It’s unclear how far along the Ethics Committee investigation is. But in May, the chairman and ranking member of the panel released an update, disclosing the panel had authorized upwards of 20 subpoenas, gathered thousands of documents and had reached out to dozens of witnesses.
In light of the allegations against him, Mills has faced bipartisan calls to resign or be expelled from the House. The Florida Republican has refused to step down, denying he did anything wrong. House GOP leaders have declined to expel Mills, citing the ongoing Ethics Committee investigation.
On Tuesday, when asked about allegations against Mills — and why he and another embattled House Republican remain in the GOP conference despite their controversies — Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., referred to the Ethics Committee.
“The key word there is allegation,” Johnson said. “We have a process here, the House Ethics Committee works on those things. If allegations are made, they work through a process. So I’m not in the business of commenting on investigations as they’re in process, and we’ll see how that shakes out. That’s how this always works. And by the way, it’s done for Rs and Ds on both sides of the aisle.”
Mills is also facing a legal complaint that could toss him from the reelection ballot. One of Mills’ Republican opponents, Michael Johnson, filed a legal complaint against the incumbent alleging that he improperly notarized his candidate documents. As a result, Johnson argued he’s not “lawfully qualified as a candidate.”
Mills didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment from MS NOW on whether he improperly notarized his candidate papers.
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