The swamp just got a little murkier as House Republicans fumbled a chance to hold a Democrat accountable, seemingly to save one of their own from the same fate.
House Republicans failed to censure Democrat Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the United States Virgin Islands over her documented ties to Jeffrey Epstein, while whispers of a backroom deal to protect embattled GOP Rep. Cory Mills of Florida have ignited a firestorm of frustration within the party, as the Daily Caller reports.
The drama kicked off when Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina introduced a resolution to censure Plaskett and strip her from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, citing documents showing she consulted with Epstein during official congressional business.
The vote on Plaskett’s censure ended in a narrow defeat, 209 Yeas to 214 Nays, with three Republicans opting to vote “present” rather than take a stand.
House Democrats, never ones to miss a counterpunch, threatened a retaliatory censure against Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, only to withdraw it once the Plaskett resolution tanked.
Now, here’s where the plot thickens -- several GOP members, including Reps. Kat Cammack, Anna Paulina Luna, Tim Burchett, and Nancy Mace, all of Florida or nearby, pointed fingers at House Speaker Mike Johnson, accusing him of orchestrating a deal with Democrats to shield Mills.
Rep. Kat Cammack didn’t mince words, stating, “Tonight, a handful of Republicans took a dive on a vote to strip Stacy Plaskett of her position on House intel because of her ties to Epstein. They did it to protect a Republican facing his own ethics issues from a similar vote.” Let’s be real -- when even your own team calls out “swampy” behavior, it’s hard to argue this isn’t politics at its most cynical.
Mills, for his part, is no stranger to controversy, with a laundry list of allegations ranging from sextortion claims by a former girlfriend, Lindsey Langston, who filed a restraining order over threats to release personal videos, to questions about his military record from former colleagues, as reported by Blaze.
Adding fuel to the fire, Mills has faced scrutiny over alleged financial misconduct tied to a luxury D.C. apartment with rent over $20,800 a month, reportedly facing eviction for unpaid months, per independent journalist Roger Sollenberger.
Then there’s the report from Blaze about Mills’ recent marriage by a radical Islamic cleric at a Virginia mosque with alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, alongside accusations of exaggerated faith claims and even conversion rumors, all of which he denies.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also weighed in, sharply criticizing Speaker Johnson, with, “They expelled George Santos, Mike Johnson did. Why isn’t he doing anything about Cory Mills?” Her point stings -- consistency in accountability shouldn’t be a partisan game, yet here we are.
Meanwhile, Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina introduced her own resolution to censure Mills and remove him from the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees, with GOP leadership required to bring it to a vote by Friday.
With the GOP holding the House by just five seats and two vacancies, including a seat once held by Tennessee Rep. Mark Green, every vote counts -- and Mills’ district, a Republican stronghold where he last won by nearly 13 points, is a key piece of the puzzle.
As Florida lawmakers gear up for mid-decade congressional redistricting, with the first meeting of the Florida House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting set for Dec. 4, some speculate that protecting Mills might be a calculated move to secure party interests in the state.
At the end of the day, this mess exposes a hard truth -- when accountability takes a backseat to political horse-trading, trust in our institutions erodes, and it’s the American people who lose. The GOP had a chance to stand on principle with Plaskett’s censure, but instead, it looks like they played the same old Washington game. Let’s hope the upcoming votes and redistricting discussions bring some clarity -- and maybe a bit of backbone -- to the party’s ranks.
