The House Ethics Committee is pressing ahead with its investigation into allegations involving Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) and his chief of staff, Brandon Phillips.
Collins, a Georgia Republican who is running in a competitive three-way GOP primary for the state’s U.S. Senate seat, is facing renewed scrutiny after the bipartisan panel said it is extending its review of referrals sent by the Office of Congressional Conduct last fall. Committee leaders said that the extension is meant to allow more time to gather information and does not signal any finding of wrongdoing.
“The mere fact of conducting further review of a referral, and any mandatory disclosure of such further review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred,” the committee said, adding that it will refrain from further public comment while the review remains ongoing.
The announcement came alongside the public release of two OCC reports that spell out the underlying allegations. In Collins’s case, the watchdog said there was “substantial reason to believe” his office paid a district intern who did little or no work and who had a romantic relationship with Phillips.
According to the report, multiple current and former staffers told investigators the intern, Caroline Craze, “never worked” in either Collins’s district office or his Washington office. The OCC also pointed to evidence suggesting Craze may have held another job while drawing a congressional paycheck.
The watchdog further said there was substantial reason to believe Collins may have used House resources for unofficial purposes and granted special favors by keeping an employee tied to his chief of staff. Investigators noted that Collins declined to cooperate with the review, which limited what they could resolve without subpoena power.
As a result, the Office of Congressional Conduct said it was unable to obtain key information and recommended that the Ethics Committee issue subpoenas, including one directed at Collins. Investigators said Collins, Phillips, and several senior staffers declined to provide the requested information or testify, leaving parts of the case unresolved without subpoena power.
A separate OCC report on Phillips reached similar conclusions, finding substantial reason to believe he used House resources for nonofficial purposes and helped retain an employee with whom he had a personal relationship. The report also says some witnesses feared retaliation if they cooperated.
Collins and Phillips have strongly disputed the allegations. In a letter submitted to the Ethics Committee, their attorney said that the referrals stemmed from complaints by “two disgruntled, former members” of Collins’s staff and argued that the OCC’s own reports undercut the case for further review.
The lawyer noted that, on two of the three issues examined by the OCC, the watchdog said it was unable to reach a determination that there was substantial reason to believe the allegations were true. Based on that record, counsel urged the committee to dismiss the matter and take no further action.
“These allegations will not serve the interests of Representative Collins’s constituents or this Committee,” the attorney wrote, requesting that the panel close the case.
Collins’s office echoed that message more bluntly, framing the ethics review as politically motivated.
“This bogus complaint is a sad attempt to derail one of Georgia’s most effective conservative legislators in Congress,” a spokesperson said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner. “Rep. Collins looks forward to providing the House Ethics Committee all factual information and putting these meritless allegations to rest.”
With the review now extended, the Ethics Committee can continue seeking documents, request additional information, or decide whether to escalate the matter into a deeper investigative phase. The panel could also choose to dismiss the case outright. For now, committee leaders say they will remain silent until the review is complete.
The ethics review comes as the Georgia GOP Senate primary has hardened into the intraparty fight Republicans hoped to avoid after Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA), who is term-limited, declined to run.
MIKE COLLINS ZEROES IN ON OSSOFF EARLY IN AD ROLLOUT DESPITE GOP PRIMARY FIGHT
Collins is facing off against Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley in a three-way contest that many Republicans expect to remain unsettled until President Donald Trump decides whether to intervene ahead of the May 19 primary.
All three are vying for the chance to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in 2026, with Trump’s endorsement looming as the biggest wild card in the race.