Protests, ethics questions dominate Rep. Cory Mills town hall

Protests, ethics questions dominate Rep. Cory Mills town hall

Protesters gathered both inside and outside a town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Cory Mills on Thursday night, as a tense, chaotic meeting unfolded amid ongoing controversies surrounding the Florida congressman. The event, held in Oviedo, drew demonstrators from across the political spectrum. 

OVIEDO, Fla. - Protesters gathered both inside and outside a town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Cory Mills on Thursday night, as a tense, chaotic meeting unfolded amid ongoing controversies surrounding the Florida congressman.

The event, held in Oviedo, drew demonstrators from across the political spectrum. 

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Video and audio recording were not permitted inside the venue, but attendees and reporters described frequent shouting, profanity and near-physical confrontations that at times drowned out questions and responses. At one point, two men appeared close to fighting before being separated.

Cory Mills responds to controversies, calls to leave Congress

Controversies surrounding Representative Cory Mills are fueling fresh calls for him to leave Congress as he faces a second investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Under renewed scrutiny by both Democrats and fellow Republicans, he spoke to FOX 35's Garrett Wymer live via Zoom to address the allegations.

Mills, a Republican, has faced heightened scrutiny in recent months over allegations of ethics violations and a personal scandal involving his former girlfriend, Lindsey Langston, the reigning Miss United States and a Republican state committeewoman. 

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A judge previously issued a restraining order against Mills after Langston accused him of threatening to release intimate photos and videos of her.

What they're saying:

The House Ethics Committee is investigating whether Mills violated campaign finance laws, misused congressional resources or engaged in sexual misconduct. Mills has denied wrongdoing and said he requested the ethics investigation himself.

"If there’s nothing to hide, let the committee of jurisdiction do their investigation, write the full review report, because the best part of the review report is, it’s available to every American."

Despite the disruptions, Mills was questioned about several issues, including whether he supports due process in cases involving fatal encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. He said investigations should be thorough, particularly when there is a loss of life or escalation of force, to ensure justice is carried out.

"What I always support is get as much of the investigation information as possible, especially when you have loss of life, or you have an escalation of force. That way, proper justice can actually be carried out."

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Some attendees said they came to voice concerns they believe are not being adequately addressed. Others said the atmosphere reflected deep frustration with the political process. 

Supporters of Mills said they wanted to be sure both sides were represented. 

"Being able to have the conversations, that’s what makes us a good able, society," said one attendee. 

Critics at the event argued Mills is unfit for office, citing what they described as a pattern of personal scandals.

"We believe that his lack of character, lack of ethics, and the numerous scandals that have been levied against him disqualify him for this position," said one person.