OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Cory Mills

December 16, 2024

On August 29, 2024, the Office of Congressional Ethics transmitted a referral to the Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives regarding Rep. Cory Mills.

Nature of the Review

Rep. Mills may have omitted or misrepresented required information in his financial disclosure statements. If Rep. Mills failed to disclose or misrepresented required information in his financial disclosure statements, then he may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.

Rep. Mills’s campaign committee may have accepted excessive contributions in the form of personal loans and contributions that may not have derived from Rep. Mills’s personal funds. If Rep. Mills’s campaign committee accepted personal loans and contributions that exceeded campaign contribution limits, then Rep. Mills may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.

Rep. Mills may have entered into, enjoyed, or held contracts with federal agencies. If Rep. Mills entered into, enjoyed, or held contracts with federal agencies while he was a Member of Congress, then he may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.

Rep. Cory Mills’s campaign committee, Cory Mills for Congress, may have accepted in-kind contributions in the form of credit not extended in the ordinary course of business. If Rep. Mills’s campaign committee accepted credit for services to the campaign committee that was not extended in the ordinary course of business, then the campaign committee may have received excessive in-kind contributions in violation of House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.

Rep. Mills’s campaign committee may have accepted a contribution that was not lawfully made pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 by receiving credit not extended in the ordinary course of business. If Rep. Mills’s campaign committee received unlawful campaign contributions in the form of credit, then Rep. Mills may have accepted an impermissible gift in violation of House rules and standards of conduct.

OCE Recommendation

The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegation concerning Rep. Mills because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Mills may have omitted or misrepresented required information in his financial disclosure statements.

The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegation concerning Rep. Mills because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Mills’s campaign committee may have accepted excessive contributions in the form of personal loans and contributions that may not have derived from Rep. Mills’s personal funds.

The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegation concerning Rep. Mills because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Mills may have entered into, enjoyed, or held contracts with federal agencies.

The Board recommended that the Committee dismiss the above allegation concerning Rep. Mills because there is not substantial reason to believe that Rep. Mills’s campaign committee, Cory Mills for Congress, may have accepted excessive in-kind contributions in the form of credit not extended in the ordinary course of business.

The Board recommended that the Committee dismiss the above allegation concerning Rep. Mills because there is not substantial reason to believe that Rep. Mills accepted an impermissible gift in violation of House rules and standards of conduct.

Committee Action

On December 16, 2024, the Committee on Ethics released a statement announcing it would extend the matter regarding Representative Mills pursuant to Committee Rule 17(a) and that the Committee would its course of action in this matter following its organizational meeting and adoption of Committee Rules in the 119th Congress.

On March 27, 2025, the Committee on Ethics released a statement announcing it would continue to gather the information necessary to complete its review. The Committee published the OCE report and findings and announced the allegations would be further reviewed pursuant to Committee Rule 18(a).