Ethics Committee reviewing claims U.S. Rep. Mike Collins misused funds
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, a Republican candidate for Senate in Georgia, is the focus of a House Ethics Committee investigation into whether he misused official government funds, primarily to benefit his top aide.
A report from the Office of Congressional Conduct released Monday said there is “substantial reason to believe” that Collins used congressional funds to pay his former chief of staff, Brandon Phillips, for unofficial or unauthorized purposes. The report alleges Phillips may have collected his government salary while working on campaign activity.
The report also asserts that Phillips’ girlfriend, Caroline Craze, was paid more than $5,000 as an intern for Collins although she never did any work and held another full-time job at the time.
Craze is a customer service analyst with Cox Communications. Cox Enterprises is the parent company of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A spokesman for Collins said the lawmaker will cooperate with the Ethics Committee’s investigation and believes he will be cleared of any wrongdoing.
“This bogus complaint is a sad attempt to derail one of Georgia’s most effective conservative legislators in Congress,” spokesman Corbin Keown said in a statement. “Rep. Collins looks forward to providing the House Ethics Committee all factual information and putting these meritless allegations to rest.”
The Ethics Committee said it will not comment on the case until the conclusion of its investigation, which is likely to take months.
Phillips was hired as Collins’ chief of staff when he took office in January 2023 and served in that role until this month, when he took on the new title of senior policy adviser. Collins, who is one of the three main GOP candidates vying to run against Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff this year, has often referred to Phillips as his top political aide, bringing him along as he travels to campaign events across the nation.
Attorney Russell Duncan sent a letter to the Ethics Committee on Dec. 31 asking for all matters raised in the report to be dismissed. He wrote that the complaints originated from “two disgruntled, former members of Congressman Collins’ staff.” Duncan said in the letter that he represents Collins and Phillips.
According to Duncan, Craze worked in the office during the final months of 2023 and 2024, and Phillips was within his rights to hire her.
“The temporary hiring and the small amount paid to the intern from available funds in the last quarter of the year were in recognition of the services the intern had provided throughout both years,” the attorney wrote. “The intern has continued this important work in 2025.”
If found responsible for breaking congressional rules or federal law, Collins could face fines, censure or, if Ethics Committee members believe his case is severe, expulsion. The committee can also refer the case to the U.S. Department of Justice or the Federal Election Commission.
About the Author
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
