Representative Cory Mills found himself at the center of a police investigation more than a year ago when officers responded to an assault complaint, according to body camera footage recently obtained by the Washington Post through a court order. The incident, which occurred on February 19, 2025, nearly resulted in the congressman's arrest before the complainant recanted key portions of her initial statement.
The Washington Post released its report based on documents and video footage showing officers speaking with a woman who initially claimed Representative Cory Mills had attacked her. According to the Post, the woman displayed bruises on her body to Officer Richard Mazloom, stating that Mills had caused the injuries during an argument. However, the situation evolved significantly as the investigation proceeded.
Representative Mills provided a statement addressing the incident, telling TMZ: "This was from more than a year ago and the case was closed, and I was found to have had no wrongdoing. Even the MPD police supervisor who showed up determined no assault or probable cause had taken place."
The body camera footage reveals a complex sequence of events that unfolded during the police response. During her conversation with Officer Mazloom, the Washington Post reports the woman received a telephone call. Following that call, she told the officer that an unidentified man wanted her to say the marks on her body "were from our vacation and that I bruise easily." Officer Mazloom informed his fellow officers that he believed this unidentified man to be Mills himself.
When officers spoke directly with Representative Mills, he expressed concern that any arrest would be "weaponized" against him politically. The congressman attempted to contact then-Attorney General Pam Bondi during the encounter, though officers warned him not to make calls to anyone. Officer Mazloom informed Mills that he needed to transport him to the police station for further questioning. Mills challenged this decision, questioning why officers would take such action without evidence to substantiate the alleged assault.
The investigation took another turn when a different officer conducted a separate interview with the woman. According to the Washington Post, she provided a substantially different account during this conversation. She acknowledged that she and Mills had engaged in a physical altercation but stated she could not remember who initiated the violence by throwing the first punch.
The situation reached a resolution when Lt. Seth Anderson arrived at the scene to assess the circumstances. After evaluating the evidence and the complainant's shifting statements, Anderson told his fellow officers, "I don't see the value of making an arrest on simple assault if we have a complainant who's working against us." When Officer Mazloom attempted to have the woman display her injuries to the lieutenant, she offered alternative explanations for the visible marks. She attributed one bruise to eczema and claimed another resulted from riding a camel in Dubai during a vacation.
Mills was not arrested that evening. However, the Washington Post reports that officers pursued the matter further, attempting to secure an arrest warrant the following day. They approached U.S. Attorney Ed Martin to authorize the warrant, but he declined to sign off on the request.
The release of this body camera footage, obtained through legal proceedings last month, provides a rare window into how law enforcement handles domestic incident calls involving elected officials. The case highlights the challenges officers face when complainants provide inconsistent statements and the discretionary decisions that must be made regarding arrests in such circumstances. The incident ultimately concluded without charges, with Representative Mills maintaining that the investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing on his part.