More details released about ethics investigation into Congressman Mike Collins and former top aide

A congressional watchdog agency has recommended Georgia Congressman Mike Collins be subpoenaed by a House committee in an investigation into allegations that he used government funds to benefit a top aide. Collins, a Republican from Jackson, is seeking the GOP nomination to face Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November’s midterm election. He is set […]

Congressman Mike Collins, who is running for Georgia's senate seat this year, denies accusations that he inappropriately spent money to benefit a top aide. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder

A congressional watchdog agency has recommended Georgia Congressman Mike Collins be subpoenaed by a House committee in an investigation into allegations that he used government funds to benefit a top aide.

Collins, a Republican from Jackson, is seeking the GOP nomination to face Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November’s midterm election. He is set to face fellow GOP Congressman Buddy Carter and former football coach Derek Dooley in the Republican primary in May.

The House Ethics Committee announced the probe in November but offered no details about the allegations at the time.

A report from the Office of Congressional Conduct released Monday found “substantial reason to believe that Rep. Collins used congressional resources for unofficial or otherwise unauthorized purposes” and paid an intern who was the girlfriend of his chief of staff but who did not actually perform any duties.

According to witnesses cited in the report, the intern, identified as Caroline Craze, received payments of about $5,000 in 2023 and 2024. Craze was reportedly in a relationship with Collins’ then-chief of staff, Brandon Phillips, and was working for Sandy Springs-based Cox Communications during the time she was allegedly paid by Collins’ office.

Phillips served as Collins’ chief of staff from January 2023 through last month and now works as a senior policy adviser for Collins’ campaign.

The report also accuses Phillips of potentially inappropriately spending money set aside for official duties on campaign expenses.

The report says that Collins, Phillips and other campaign staff did not cooperate with the investigation and recommended that the House Committee on Ethics issue subpoenas to them as well as Craze.

In a statement, Collins’ office denied the allegations.

“This bogus complaint is a sad attempt to derail one of Georgia’s most effective conservative legislators in Congress. Rep. Collins looks forward to providing the House Ethics Committee all factual information and putting these meritless allegations to rest,” the office said.

In a letter to the House Committee on Ethics, attorney Russell Duncan, who represents Collins and Phillips, said that the allegations came from “two disgruntled, former members of Congressman Collins staff” and called on the committee to dismiss the matter.

Duncan said the decision to temporarily hire Craze was within Phillips’ discretion and that she “provided valuable assistance to the Office throughout both years regarding communications and other work of the Office.”

Surrogates from both parties are hoping the allegations will stick.

“Mike Collins wouldn’t be refusing to cooperate if he had nothing to hide,” said Devon Cruz, senior communications advisor with the Democratic Party of Georgia, in a statement. “Collins’ apparent abuse of power is disturbing and once again underscores he cannot represent Georgians in the United States Senate.”

The House Ethics Committee consists of 10 members, five from each party. If an investigation reveals wrongdoing, the committee has the power to levy punishments ranging from private letters of admonition to, in especially rare and severe cases, recommendations of expulsion, which require a two-thirds majority vote from the entire House to enact.

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