Lawmakers From Both Parties Demand Faster Answers on Three Members Accused of Abuse
A bipartisan push is building on the House Ethics Committee to speed up misconduct probes into Reps. Jimmy Gomez, Cory Mills and Max Miller before a pre-election blackout locks in silence.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing the House Ethics Committee to move faster on misconduct investigations into three sitting members before a mandatory pre-election blackout period cuts off further updates.
The pressure centers on three parallel probes: Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), facing sexual harassment and assault allegations in a case the committee publicly confirmed on August 19; Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), accused of dating violence; and Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), facing allegations of domestic abuse, pointing a gun and illegal drug use made by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, in a probe announced August 4.
"Too long" to wait
The Democratic Women's Caucus, chaired by Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), sent a letter demanding the committee "release the status of their investigations, while protecting survivor privacy," according to The Hill. "One of the long-standing problems of House Ethics investigations is that they simply take too long," Leger Fernández said. "Staff, the public, and the Members need the investigations and reporting to be quicker and responsive."
VOTERS ARE LEFT IN LIMBO WHILE THE CLOCK RUNS OUT
Both Gomez and Miller are seeking reelection in November, meaning voters in their districts could head to the polls without a resolution to either case. Lawmakers pushing for reform point to the committee's handling of a prior case against Rep. Chuck Edwards, which wrapped in under four months, as proof faster timelines are possible. Some members have also floated a formal ban on romantic or sexual relationships between lawmakers and their staff, according to a separate Hill report.
The Ethics Committee traditionally goes quiet on active investigations for roughly 60 days before a general election, a self-imposed blackout meant to avoid the appearance of influencing a race. With that window approaching, advocates for the three accusers say any additional findings need to surface now or risk being buried until after voters have already cast ballots.
Newsweek reported the Gomez accuser's attorneys have separately called for the case to be expedited. None of the three lawmakers named in the probes has been charged criminally, and each has denied wrongdoing through representatives.