Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday he would be “looking into” an ongoing House Ethics investigation into whether Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) is guilty of assault and benefiting from federal contracts while in office.
His comments to reporters come amid a broader reckoning in the House over alleged transgressions among members on both sides of the aisle, leading to announcements Monday that Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) would resign after being accused of sexual misconduct.
While Johnson said he was not sure about the current status of the Mills investigation, he was confident the House’s “consensus” would be to soon vote to oust another Florida lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, following findings by the House Ethics Committee that she committed myriad campaign finance infractions.
The Ethics panel is due to meet next week to determine whether to recommend a formal punishment, which could be as severe as expulsion. If members ultimately suggest a lesser consequence, Republicans could still force a floor vote on an expulsion resolution, though Democrats could counter with a resolution to expel Mills at the same time. It’s not clear how Republican leadership will proceed.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries separately told reporters Tuesday that the Cherfilus-McCormick ethics probe “is not yet complete” and they will “see what” the panel recommends.
Jeffries also said conversations regarding Swalwell “will stay private.”
Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
