Florida Republican Rep. Cory Mills is pushing back hard against reports of a Justice Department criminal investigation, calling the allegations a coordinated effort by primary opponents to sink his reelection bid weeks before the August 18 vote.
Mills, a two-term congressman who sits on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, told Fox News Digital that neither the DOJ nor the FBI has ever contacted him or confirmed that any investigation exists. He pointed to the sourcing behind the reports, unnamed individuals described only as familiar with the matter, and challenged the lack of specifics.
"If you also read the rest of the reports, it never says that the DOJ or the FBI has ever said there's an investigation. All it ever says is that a source claims the following."
Mills first won his seat representing Florida's 7th Congressional District in 2022 and won reelection in 2024. He now faces three Republican primary challengers: Ryan Elijah, a former newscaster; Michael Johnson, a former Defense Department official; and Sarah Ulrich, a former business executive. The primary is set for August 18.
The congressman's denial was direct. He said he has received no communication from federal investigators and questioned why anonymous sources could not specify what the probe allegedly covers.
"I have no indication. No one's ever reached out to us. And the DOJ, FBI themselves have never even confirmed such an investigation exists."
ABC News separately reported, citing additional sources, that the alleged investigation is tied at least in part to Mills' finances. But Mills dismissed the reports as campaign-season maneuvering.
"This is clearly a political op by our opponents, and they're hoping that within four weeks left to go that they can use this to try and slander my name a little bit further."
He pressed further on the anonymous sourcing.
"It's 'source on the inside with knowledge.' Well, if it's a source on the inside with knowledge, then why can't they give the details of what exactly they're supposed to be investigating?"
Newsmax reported that at least one person had been contacted by the FBI about Mills' finances, alleged misconduct, and individuals in his orbit. Mills, when contacted by text about the DOJ probe, responded: "I know nothing about it." He suggested the matter might stem from an ongoing House Ethics Committee inquiry, noting that the Federal Election Commission had already dismissed campaign-related complaints against him.
The DOJ reports land on top of a separate and already active congressional investigation. The House Ethics Committee opened its inquiry into Mills in November 2025, covering allegations of sexual misconduct, dating violence, and campaign finance violations. An investigative subcommittee was established that same month.
By May 2026, the Ethics Committee had authorized nearly 20 subpoenas, gathered thousands of documents, and reached out to dozens of witnesses, Newsmax reported. The scope of the probe extends to financial disclosures, government contracts, personal conduct, including a February 2025 domestic incident, and a court-issued injunction involving a former girlfriend.
Mills was also accused in a separate episode later in 2025 of blackmail, with allegations that he threatened to release a romantic partner's explicit pictures. He has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican, filed a motion to expel Mills in April 2026. Her motion cited sexual misconduct allegations, campaign finance violations, misrepresenting military service, and unlawful involvement in federal contracts while serving in Congress.
Mace did not hold back. As the Washington Examiner reported, she said: "The swamp has protected Cory Mills for far too long."
Mills' legal and ethical troubles coincide with a difficult reelection campaign. The Washington Examiner reported that he ended the second quarter with only $81,000 in the bank, a thin war chest for a sitting congressman facing three primary challengers in a competitive race.
The combination of a House Ethics investigation, an expulsion motion from a fellow Republican, reports of a DOJ criminal probe, and anemic fundraising puts Mills in a position few incumbents would envy. Three GOP candidates are lined up to replace him, and the primary is less than a month away.
Mills insists the timing is no coincidence. He frames the cascade of allegations as a coordinated campaign to drive him out of the race before voters decide. Neither the DOJ nor the FBI has publicly confirmed or denied any investigation. The House Ethics Committee's inquiry remains open with no specified end date or findings announced.
Several basic questions remain unresolved. No official DOJ or FBI statement has addressed whether an investigation exists. The specific conduct allegedly under federal scrutiny, beyond the general reference to Mills' finances, has not been detailed. The status of Mace's expulsion motion is unclear. And the outcomes of the domestic abuse and blackmail accusations have not been publicly resolved.
Mills denies everything. He says no one from federal law enforcement has contacted him. He says the FEC already cleared him on campaign finance matters. And he says his opponents are using anonymous leaks to do what they cannot do at the ballot box.
If Mills is right that this is a political operation, then voters in Florida's 7th District deserve to know who is feeding anonymous tips to reporters weeks before a primary. If he is wrong, and a real federal investigation is underway, then the facts will eventually speak for themselves. Either way, anonymous sourcing without official confirmation is a thin foundation for ending a congressman's career, and voters, not leakers, should have the final word.
