All things considered, House Republican leaders didn’t need another controversy surrounding one of their members, but they apparently have one anyway. Politico reported on a police report that suggests Rep. Cory Mills not only had a mistress, but the married Florida Republican also allegedly threatened to release nude videos of her after she broke off their relationship.
From Politico’s report:
Lindsey Langston, a Florida Republican state committee member and 2024 winner of the Miss United States beauty pageant, told authorities on July 14 that Mills also threatened to harm any of her future romantic partners, according to a report she made to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department that was obtained Tuesday by Politico. Her allegations were sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for review, said Steven Khachigan, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s department.
Some caveats are in order. For one thing, MSNBC has not reviewed the police report in question. What’s more, the GOP congressman has not been charged, and Mills’ office said in a written statement: “We have not been made aware of any report or allegations from law enforcement or the alleged complainant. These claims are false and misrepresent the nature of my interactions. I have always conducted myself with integrity, both personally and in service to Florida’s 7th District.”
That said, the allegations add a new chapter to a story about a politician who has faced a series of difficulties of late.
It was in February, for example, when Mills first generated national headlines after NBC News reported that the local police department in Washington, D.C., had begun an investigation into the congressman, following a report of an alleged assault. NBC News went on to report soon after that the Metropolitan Police Department in the nation’s capital “sent an arrest warrant” on Mills to then-interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin’s office, but the warrant went unsigned by the hyperpartisan Trump-appointed prosecutor.
The GOP congressman issued a statement “vehemently” denying any wrongdoing, claiming that law enforcement “was asked to resolve a private matter” at Mills’ residence. (Both Mills and the woman denied that any assault took place, and Mills wasn’t charged in the incident.)
The story soon faded, though according to Politico’s latest report, Langston told the sheriff’s department that she ended her relationship with the Republican lawmaker after seeing media reports in February.
It was at that point when Mills, according to Langston, started threatening her.
Complicating matters, these aren’t the only accusations he has confronted in recent months. In May, NOTUS reported on questions surrounding an award Mills received as part of his military service, and two months earlier, the House Ethics Committee disclosed its investigation into Mills, examining whether he might’ve omitted or misrepresented information in financial disclosure reports. (That investigation is ongoing; a spokesperson for Mills has denied any wrongdoing.) Meanwhile, in mid-July, NBC News reported that Mills is facing a lawsuit seeking his eviction over alleged failure to pay thousands of dollars in rent at a property in the nation’s capital. (That legal dispute is ongoing; Mills defended himself on social media last month.) The congressman had reportedly expressed an interest in running for statewide office in Florida in the 2026 election cycle. Whether he’s prepared to run anyway, despite the recent controversies, is unclear. This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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