House Delays Mills Expulsion Vote While Ethics Committee Continues Investigation

House Republicans are blocking an immediate expulsion vote against Rep. Cory Mills, a Florida Republican under investigation for campaign finance violations and alleged threats to release intimate videos of an ex-partner, according to three GOP members who spoke on condition of anonymity. The delay comes as the House Ethics Committee continues its review, while lawmakers from both parties have signaled they will wait for the panel's final report before taking action.

Mills faces scrutiny over alleged campaign finance rule violations and claims he threatened to distribute nude videos of a former partner. The Ethics Committee investigation remains active, with no public timeline for completion. An expulsion vote could be forced as soon as next week by any lawmaker, but Republican leadership has indicated privately they will not pursue that path until the committee releases its findings.

The decision to hold off on Mills contrasts sharply with the treatment of two other lawmakers this week. Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, both resigned Tuesday following serious sexual assault accusations from former staffers. Unlike Mills and Gonzales, Swalwell faced charges of an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Mills told reporters Tuesday he spoke with Speaker Mike Johnson and said he was "unfairly lumped into this" with the departing members.

Rep. Susie Lee, a Nevada Democrat, stated in an interview Tuesday that Mills "should be expelled." However, Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar of California said he had not yet formed a position on Mills' expulsion, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said he would confer with his members before weighing in. Multiple Democratic members leaving a leadership meeting Tuesday said they had no knowledge of a party strategy to address a Mills ouster effort.

Rep. Nick LaLota, a New York Republican who pushed for the 2023 expulsion of former Rep. George Santos for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, outlined his criteria for expulsion: a member's admission of conduct, a court finding, or an Ethics Committee finding. LaLota said the Mills case "does not meet any of those three criteria" as of now. Mills is not under federal indictment, distinguishing his situation from some other lawmakers currently facing scrutiny.

Context

The House Ethics Committee process has historically moved slowly and operates with limited public transparency. The committee met Tuesday to recommend formal punishment against Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick after finding her guilty last month on more than two dozen counts, including campaign finance infractions and stealing money from FEMA. Unlike Mills, Cherfilus-McCormick is under federal indictment. Republicans have indicated they plan to force a vote next week on a resolution to expel Cherfilus-McCormick, and Democrats have given no indication they will oppose that effort.

What's Next

The Ethics Committee's timeline for releasing its final report on Mills remains unclear, meaning the investigation could extend for weeks or months. If the committee does issue findings against Mills, a subsequent expulsion vote would require a two-thirds majority in the House. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a New Jersey Republican, stated Tuesday that members should "go through the Ethics Committee, and if they are guilty, then there should be the appropriate censure or perhaps expulsion if it's serious enough." The current dynamic suggests that internal pressure and voluntary resignation, rather than formal expulsion votes, may remain the faster mechanism for removing lawmakers from office.