Rep. Nancy Mace introduced a resolution Monday to remove fellow Republican Cory Mills from Congress, escalating an intraparty clash over sexual misconduct allegations that has divided House leadership.
The South Carolina lawmaker filed the measure after previous attempts to censure Mills and strip his committee assignments stalled in November. Both chambers blocked that earlier action, prompting Mace to pursue the more drastic step of outright expulsion.
"The swamp has protected Cory Mills for far too long and we are done letting it slide," Mace said in a statement. She framed the expulsion push as a necessary response after bipartisan obstruction derailed her prior sanctions effort.
Mills, a Florida Republican, faces a House Ethics Committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, dating violence, and campaign finance violations. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and appeared unfazed by Monday's development. In a post on social media, he invited Mace to "call the vote forward," signaling willingness to face a floor debate on the expulsion measure.
Speaker Mike Johnson quickly distanced himself from Mace's move, telling reporters that House Republicans turning on each other through expulsion attempts is counterproductive. "We have a process here," Johnson said, emphasizing that the Ethics Committee ensures due process for accused members. "That's the way it should run. So, no, I'm not in favor."
Mills responded by challenging the legitimacy of allegations as a substitute for formal due process, quipping that "Nancy thinks accusations is due process." He sought to distinguish his situation from two recent cases involving sexual misconduct, arguing his circumstances differ fundamentally from those of former Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas., who resigned last week under bipartisan expulsion pressure.
"One, I'm not married, so there's one thing. Two, I've never sexually harassed or had any complaints by any staffers or interns on the Hill," Mills said in an interview with NewsNation last week. "It's just not even a fair comparison."
The Florida congressman has faced several legal tangles recently. Police in Washington, D.C., opened an investigation in February after an alleged assault at an apartment building near a property connected to Mills, though no charges were filed. In October, a Florida judge issued a dating violence restraining order against him following accusations from an ex-girlfriend of threatening and harassing behavior.
The expulsion fight arrives as the Ethics Committee prepares recommendations Tuesday on sanctions for Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida, who was found guilty of 25 violations related to allegedly stealing $5 million in federal relief funds for her campaign. Expulsion remains a possibility in her case as well.
Notably, Mace herself is under Ethics Committee investigation over allegations she overcharged Congress for housing costs. Her office previously dismissed the complaint as not serious.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Mace's gambit puts Republican leadership in an awkward spot, and it's unclear whether she has the votes or the procedural muscle to force a floor vote on expulsion."
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