The House Ethics Committee is defending its handling of the ongoing investigation into embattled Rep. Cory Mills, who stands accused of threatening to release a former girlfriend’s nude videos, among other charges.
In a statement Monday, the panel’s bipartisan leadership said that the investigative subcommittee announced in November to oversee the Mills case “has authorized more than 20 subpoenas, collected thousands of documents, and contacted dozens of witnesses.”
“The [subcommittee] expects to receive additional relevant documents and testimony in the coming weeks and will take all necessary steps to conduct a full and thorough investigation,” said chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and ranking member Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.) in the statement.
A spokesperson for Mills did not immediately return a request for comment.
The rare public statement from a notoriously secretive committee underscores the extent of the pressure the Ethics panel remains under to aggressively police lawmakers, following a rash of member resignations spurred by allegations of sexual misconduct or other bad behavior.
Guest and DeSaulnier note that the panel’s review of Mills includes looking into a Feb. 2025 incident, during which the Metropolitan Police Department was called to a home in Washington regarding an assault allegedly committed by Mills. Mills has denied wrongdoing in the case, and the woman who was the alleged victim has said no physical altercation took place.
The Ethics investigative subcommittee is also probing a restraining order levied by a Florida judge after a former girlfriend accused Mills of threatening to release her explicit videos. Mills has denied those allegations, too.
“The Committee takes these and the other allegations very seriously and will continue to review them in a manner that ensures due process and prioritizes witness confidentiality and safety,” Guest and DeSaulnier said Monday.
Mills has also been accused of other charges, including stolen valor and involvement in federal contracts while in office. He has said he is cooperating with the Ethics Committee’s probe and has confidence in its ability to adjudicate his case.
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