Rep. Cory Mills Faces House Censure Amid Legal Battle

Cory Mills, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, is facing a potential censure over a series of misconduct and abuse allegations levied against him in recent months. Mills represents all of Seminole County plus a large portion of south Volusia County in Congress, including New Smyrna Beach, Deltona, and Port Orange. A censure in the U.S. House of Representatives is a resolution to formally reprimand the actions or words of another member. It amounts merely to a large, public condemnation and does not carry official consequences or penalties. Accusations of Abuse Rep. Yvette Clark, a Democrat from New York, read a resolution on the House floor Wednesday which lists a slew of accusations recently made against Mills. It references a romantic partner accusing Mills of having “grabbed her, shoved her, and pushed her out of the door”, and before later “instruct[ing] her to lie about the origin of her bruises”. The resolution goes on to reference a report that a different ex-partner of Mills was subject to threats of revenge porn by the congressman. He “threatened to release nude images and other intimate videos of her and threatened to harm her future romantic partners in retaliation for her decision to end a relationship with Representative Mills”, the allegation said. This second accuser is Miss United States 2024 winner Lindsey Langston. She’s currently seeking a restraining order against Mills in an ongoing court proceeding. Part of the evidence submitted in her case was a text allegedly from Mills which read “May want to tell every guy you date that if we run into each other at any point. Strap up cowboy”. A later text expanded on that sentiment: “I don’t care this week, this month, or this decade.” Accusations of Corruption Also referenced in the resolution was a 2024 report from the nonpartisan Office on Congressional Ethics which concluded Mills may have violated House rules. He was accused of having personally benefitted from federal contracts while serving as a congressman. Based on “substantial reason”, as the report put it, two companies connected to Mills raked in almost one million dollars from federal contracts since Mills’ election in 2022. The two companies, defense and munitions manufacturers Pacem Defense and ALS Less Lethal, were both co-founded by Mills. Another company co-founded by Mills, Pacem Solutions, reaped around $11,600 from a federal contract according to Politico. What Has Cory Mills Said? Congressman Mills has maintained his innocence throughout the series of allegations against him. “These claims are false and misrepresent the nature of my interaction,” Mills said. “I have always conducted myself with integrity, both personally and in service to Florida’s 7th District.” Mills went on to say that the series of accusations were a ‘political attack’ which had been created in order to hurt his public image. As far as the alleged assault and manipulation against his former partners, Mills’ lawyer has said this is indicative of a messy domestic separation. “You’re seeing two people’s relationship break down and disintegrate, and that’s a deeply private thing,” said attorney Aaron Delgado. Mills has been married since 2014, and each of the extramarital disputes is described as having taken place since then.