House Ethics Committee Now Has 10 Open Investigations, GOP and Democrats Both Bleeding

Ten members of the House of Representatives are currently under active investigation by the House Ethics Committee, according to the Washington Examiner. Three other members have already resigned this Congress. This isn't a one-party problem. Republicans and Democrats are both bleeding.

The Republicans

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., is facing a House Ethics Committee probe and, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Fox News, a Department of Justice investigation into his finances. Mills denies wrongdoing and claims the DOJ leak came from a political opponent. He also faces allegations of domestic abuse, which he denies.

Mills touts three Trump endorsements and says his office returned more than $107 million to constituents in Florida's 7th District. Two of his fellow Florida Republicans, Reps. Mike Haridopolos and Anna Paulina Luna, are publicly backing his primary opponent, former TV anchor Ryan Elijah, in the primary held Tuesday, August 18. That's a remarkable move: sitting members actively campaigning against a colleague from their own party.

Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., announced he won't seek reelection after the House Ethics Committee recommended censuring him, according to CNN. The bipartisan committee found "substantial reason to believe" Edwards, who is married, subjected two female staffers to inappropriate treatment: expensive gifts including jewelry worth more than $1,000, designer handbags, firearms and vacations, according to the Daily Wire. Investigators said he skipped House votes to help a staffer decorate her Christmas tree, wrote her poems, and discussed visiting D.C. strip clubs.

The committee said it found no evidence Edwards engaged in sexual activity with either staffer. An attorney for Edwards said in a 15-page response that the report cleared his client of sexual misconduct and accused the committee of a rushed process that never let Edwards challenge the facts. A House censure is a formal public rebuke; it doesn't remove a member from office or strip committee assignments.

Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, took the unusual step of requesting an ethics investigation into himself after allegations of domestic abuse and drug use surfaced, according to the Washington Examiner. His ex-wife, Emily Moreno, made the domestic violence allegations. Miller has refused to drop his reelection bid despite pressure from GOP leadership and, according to CNN, from President Trump himself. Miller represents a district Trump won by more than 10 points, and Republican strategists told CNN his combative CNN interview with Jake Tapper made things worse, not better. One unnamed GOP strategist texted CNN: "I mean what the absolute f* was that."

The Democrat

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., is under House Ethics Committee investigation for allegedly engaging in "inappropriate sexual contact with a House staffer," according to a joint statement from Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., and ranking member Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., reported by the LA Times. The probe followed an April New York Post report that Gomez, married, was seen kissing a much-younger staffer from another office at a 2023 party hosted by then-Rep. Eric Swalwell.

Gomez says the contact was consensual and broke no law or House rule, and has acknowledged making "personal mistakes outside my marriage." Attorneys Lisa J. Banks and Sarah E. Nesbitt, representing an unnamed accuser, directly disputed that characterization in a statement to the committee, according to Breitbart. "Contrary to Representative Gomez's assertion in his statement, his actions were not consensual in nature with respect to our client," they wrote. It is unclear from public statements whether Gomez was referring to the same woman represented by Banks and Nesbitt when he described his conduct as consensual.

Gomez faces a primary challenge from Democrat Angela Gonzales-Torres, backed by the Justice Democrats, who told the LA Times: "At a time when working families are struggling the most, we need to get creeps out of office." Gomez took 46% of the primary vote in June to her 30%.

The committee has stated publicly, in both the Gomez and Miller cases, that the existence of an investigation doesn't itself indicate a violation occurred. Being investigated is not the same as being found guilty, and Mills, Edwards, Miller and Gomez are all entitled to that distinction while their cases proceed.

What's actually at stake

CNN's reporting captures the electoral math well: Trump won both the Ohio seat held by Miller and the Florida seat held by Mills by double digits, meaning these should be safe Republican seats. Cook Political Report has already downgraded Mills' district from "Solid R" to "Likely R," per Fox News. Democrats are watching both races closely, and according to CNN, some House Democrats want to force a floor vote to expel Miller rather than wait for November, though leadership reportedly prefers to beat him at the ballot box.

None of this is close to resolved. The Ethics Committee hasn't issued findings on Mills, Miller, or Gomez. No DOJ charges have been filed against Mills, and no charges have been filed against anyone named in this piece. The Edwards censure recommendation still requires a formal House vote. Whether any of these seats flip in November will depend less on committee findings than on whether Speaker Mike Johnson's campaign arm decides to spend money defending incumbents whose personal conduct has become the central issue in their own reelection campaigns.