ATLANTA — A Georgia Congressman is calling allegations against him “bogus” a day after a new report said there was “substantial reason” to believe he misused official funds.
Rep. Mike Collins (R) is considered the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate during the May primary.
On Monday, the Office of Congressional Conduct issued its report stating that it believed “…there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Collins used Congressional resources for unofficial or otherwise unauthorized purposes” to benefit his former Chief of Staff, Brandon Phillips.
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The review also states that Phillips may have drawn his government salary while working on Collins’ campaign.
It also states there is substantial reason to believe Phillips hired his girlfriend as a paid intern, but that she did not do the work for which she was hired.
The OCC began its review after it received the allegations.
But in the office’s official response to Channel 2’s Richard Elliot, their attorney insisted Phillips’ girlfriend did do the work and that the allegations simply came from disgruntled former staff members.
“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,” Collins’ spokesperson Corbin Keown said.
The review also stated that Collins, Phillips and other staff members refused to cooperate in the review.
That drew the ire of Georgia Democrats.
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“Mike Collins wouldn’t be refusing to cooperate if he had nothing to hide,” said Devon Cruz, Democratic Party of Georgia Senior Communications Manager.
But the refusal to cooperate also drew the criticism of conservative activist and Atlanta Tea Party founder Debbie Dooley, who admits she is supporting Collins’ GOP rival Derek Dooley, no relation.
“There has been no cooperation from Rep. Collins,” Dooley said. “There has been no cooperation from Brandon Phillips or anyone on his staff with the committee. There were numerous chances to provide documentation to show that he was innocent and to prove his innocence. He decided his course of action would be just ignore the committee and not cooperate.”
The allegations will now be heard by the House Ethics Commission. It does have subpoena powers. It could take months to render a decision.
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