Mike Johnson dismisses question about abuse allegations against Cory Mills

Facing questions from reporters, Speaker Mike Johnson declined to discuss personal scandals surrounding U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, but called the New Smyrna Beach Republican a ”faithful colleague.”

NOTUS reporter Reese Gorman asked specifically at a news conference about a Metropolitan Police investigation from February after a live-in girlfriend, Iranians for Trump co-founder Sarah Raviani, alleged that Mills assaulted her in their apartment. Raviani later withdrew allegations and authorities did not pursue charges.

Gorman also asked about accusations that Mills should not have been awarded certain military medals.

Johnson directed questions on the matter to Mills’ Office.

“He’s been a faithful colleague here,” Johnson said. “I know his work on the Hill. I mean, I don’t know all the details of all the individual allegations and what he’s doing in his outside life. You have to ask him.”

Johnson then made clear he wanted to move on. “Let’s talk about some things that are really serious,” Johnson said.

Democrats pounced on the dismissive remarks.

“It is abhorrent that apparently Speaker Johnson doesn’t think that domestic violence is ‘serious,’” posted Madison Andrus, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The question came more than two weeks into a federal shutdown amid continued negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House.

But the press conference also took place a day after another woman, Columbia County Republican Committeewoman Lindsey Langston, obtained a restraining order on Mills from a Judge in Florida. The order forbids contact between Mills and Langston and any mention of Langston by the Congressman on social media.

That follows allegations Langston reported to law enforcement that Mills had threatened to share intimate images and videos of her with men she dated after she and Mills broke up earlier this year. Langston said she was living with Mills at the time that news broke about his relationship with Raviani but left him when she realized he was seeing another woman.

Mills said he had no intent of releasing any images, but a Judge said that was not believable. The restraining order runs until the end of the year.

Mills notably is married to Rana al Saadi, but he said he and his wife have been separated for two years.