One of Rep. Cory Mills‘s (R-FL) closest friends in Congress is distancing himself from the congressman amid several allegations.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a candidate for Florida governor, called the accusations against Mills “very troubling” and questioned whether he could clear his name.
“The allegations against Cory, to me, are very troubling. I’m concerned about him. I hope he gets his stuff worked out and cleaned up, but it has to go through ethics. And he has to, you know, basically, do that hard work to clear his name, if it can be cleared,” he told NOTUS on Thursday.
The House tried to censure Mills last month. However, the chamber voted to refer the Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC)-introduced censure resolution to the House Ethics Committee. Donalds voted to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee while Reps. Kat Cammack (R-FL) and Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) voted against referring, joining Democrats.
The allegations against Mills include stolen valor, assault against a woman who wasn’t his wife, using “revenge porn” to retaliate against beauty queen Lindsey Langston, and holding improper federal contracts.
Donalds dismissed a reporter’s question on Thursday about whether he ever considered Mills as a candidate to be his understudy in the Florida governor’s race.
“That was an offhand comment from almost two years ago. It’s not serious,” he told LindellTV.
Mills believes the allegations against him will be disproved.
“I believe all the accusations and false things that are being said will be proven to be absolutely false in many ways, and I have the evidence and receipts and look forward to working with them,” he said on the House floor.
The Ethics Committee will pore over Mills’s conduct and make a decision on whether to recommend consequences against him, which could include expulsion from the House. Former Republican New York Rep. George Santos was expelled from the House in 2023 after the Ethics Committee released a report concluding he “cannot be trusted.”
Mills could dodge the consequences of an Ethics Committee report if he chooses not to run for reelection next year. Luna has openly said Mills should not seek another term in Congress.
“House leadership exchanged the vote to protect a Republican that’s having a lot of issues and should NOT seek re-election,” she posted on X, referencing censure attempts that have fallen flat because of alleged attempts to protect Mills from the same fate.
EMBATTLED REP. CORY MILLS USED CAMPAIGN FUNDS TO PARTY AT BEACHFRONT RESORTS, CHARTER PRIVATE JETS
Donalds has the support of President Donald Trump in Florida’s 2026 governor race and is looking like the favorite to win. He’s running against right-wing investor James Fishback and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, among others.
Any association with Mills will likely damage Donalds’s hopes.