Disgraced congressman, 46, seen ‘blowing off steam’ with aspiring model, 27, in secret $2m beach hideaway after humiliating election loss
Republican congressman Cory Mills reportedly retreated to a $2 million rented beachfront property in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, immediately after losing his primary for Florida's 7th Congressional District, where sources said he was spending time with a 27-year-old former aspiring model. His disappearance from public view following the defeat has reportedly alarmed his own staff, who say he made no public statement and missed work obligations, adding a further layer of turmoil to a political career already marred by controversy.
Mills, 46, lost the GOP primary earlier in August to local TV reporter Ryan Elijah, and sources say he was seen the following day sitting on the beach for the entire day with Catherine Chils, described as a long-standing companion of three years; Chils denies she was there and says the pair are just friends. Staffers said his tendency to go incommunicado is not unusual, noting he keeps a campaign bus he sometimes sleeps in, and he skipped several scheduled media appearances in the campaign's final stretch. His two terms in Congress had already been overshadowed by allegations including domestic violence, revenge porn threats, an assault investigation that was later closed, a lapsed restraining order obtained by an ex-girlfriend, and an ongoing House Ethics Committee probe into alleged campaign finance violations, all of which Mills denies.
- Cory Mills vanished to a Florida beach house after losing his primary.
- He was reportedly seen there with a 27-year-old companion, Catherine Chils.
- His career had already been dogged by scandal, including an ethics probe.
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Cory Mills is a Republican member of the US House of Representatives from Florida, currently in his second term. He recently lost his party's primary election for Florida's 7th Congressional District to a local television reporter, meaning he will not be on the ballot for re-election. Even before this defeat, his time in Congress had been dogged by a string of controversies and allegations, including domestic violence claims, an assault investigation that was later closed, and an ongoing ethics inquiry into his campaign finances, all of which he has denied.
The story centres on what Mills did immediately after his primary loss. Reports say he went to a rented beachfront property in Florida rather than making any public statement, prompting concern from his own staff, who say he was hard to reach and missed work commitments. He was reportedly seen there with a woman named Catherine Chils, whom sources describe as a long-term companion, though she has denied being present and says the two are simply friends.
The wider significance is less about the beach visit itself and more about what it suggests regarding the end of a turbulent political career. Mills's conduct after losing his seat is being framed by some as consistent with the pattern of controversy that shaped his time in office, raising questions about accountability and his standing within his own party as his term in Congress winds down.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates of continued scrutiny would argue that a sitting congressman remains legitimately newsworthy until he actually leaves office, particularly one facing an active House Ethics Committee probe and a documented run of serious allegations he has denied. They would say his apparent disappearance from public duties straight after a primary defeat, missed media commitments and his own staff's evident concern raise real questions about his fitness for the responsibilities he still holds. On this view, reporting his whereabouts and companionship is not gratuitous but adds to the public record on a controversial official whose conduct voters and colleagues are entitled to weigh.
The case against
Critics would counter that Mills's private time with a long-standing companion, who denies even being present, is not a legitimate matter of public concern, especially now that he has lost his primary and is no longer seeking office. They would argue that framing consensual adult companionship in salacious terms such as 'blowing off steam', and juxtaposing it with unrelated, denied or previously closed allegations, risks conflating gossip with accountability journalism and unfairly prejudging a man who disputes the claims against him. For them, the proper venues for examining his conduct are the Ethics Committee and the courts, not speculative coverage of his personal life during what appears to be a difficult period for him.