Florida Congressman Cory Mills, whose second term has devolved amidst an ethics probe, has been unable to keep up with a Democratic challenger in fundraising over the past six months.
Mills, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump in February, raised just under $75,000 between Jan. 1 and March 31, according to an Federal Election Commission filing. The report shows just four individual donors from the 7th Congressional District he serves, covering Seminole and southern Volusia counties.
Democrat Bale Dalton, a Navy Reserve captain and former NASA chief of staff, raised $345,000 over that same time, according to a news release. Dalton’s campaign generated more cash by a greater than 4 to 1 margin over that time.
Dalton also has an advantage in cash on hand. Mills stood at $111,000, while Dalton’s campaign had about $460,000, according to MG Darmody, Dalton’s campaign manager.
“Central Florida urgently needs a representative who will stand against Washington corruption and work to make life affordable again,” Darmody said. “Congressman Mills is using his campaign to pay for his legal fees, even while he tries to outrun an ethics investigation.”
First-quarter campaign reports were not yet available for Democrats Marialana Kinter nor Jennifer Adams. Meanwhile, two Republicans challenging Mills in the primary, Michael Johnson and Sarah Ulrich, had raised just over $32,000 and $5,000, respectively.
Will Mills survive ethics investigation?
Mills has been mentioned repeatedly as one of the dominoes that could tumble in what’s been described as a House cleansing, with House Speaker Mike Johnson saying this week he intends to look in on the House Ethics probe that started in 2024 when the Office of Congressional Ethics produced an 81-page report covering alleged misdeeds.
Those included entering into or enjoying contracts with federal agencies while serving as a member. Prior to his election, Mills’ companies had contracts that sold munitions and provided security to the United States and foreign governments.
The report also covered questions about whether Mills had accepted excessive contributions in the form of personal loans. Media reports, including Roger Sollenberger and others have reported that one of Mills’ companies, PACEM Solutions, is facing foreclosure and owes some $66 million to a foreign lender.
House ethics subcommittee investigates sexual misconduct, other charges against Mills
In November, a proposed censure vote brought by fellow Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina was taken off the table when Mills himself offered a motion to refer some of her allegations to the Ethics Committee, which agreed to establish a subcommittee to focus solely on Mills.
Could Mills face expulsion from Congress?
At the start of the week, Democrat Eric Swalwell of California and Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas resigned amid sex scandals. In addition to Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican who is facing a House Ethics Committee investigation touching on his finances, business practices and personal life, Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been charged by the Department of Justice with stealing $5 million in FEMA funds, and she could face an expulsion vote this week.
With politics being politics and Republicans having a narrow margin of control, the House Speaker could need Democratic votes in order to remove Cherfilus-McCormick. One way to gain those votes is to offer up an expulsion of Mills — keeping the balance of Republicans and Democrats equal while potentially removing problems for both parties.
Will that happen? Mills said told NewsNation he had not heard anything about his possible expulsion, and doesn’t belong in a category with Swalwell and Gonzales.
“One, I’m not married. And, two, I’ve never sexually harassed and/or had any complaints by any staffers or interns on the Hill. It’s just not even a fair comparison. It’s obviously a political Democratic tit-for-tat.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida Democrat outraises Congressman Cory Mills
Reporting by Mark Harper, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
