Newly released body camera footage reveals that U.S. Representative Cory Mills was nearly taken into custody by Washington, D.C., police officers in February 2025 following an assault allegation, but the case quickly fell apart when the accuser changed her story.
According to a Washington Post report based on documents and video obtained via court order, officers responded to a call on February 19, 2025, where a woman initially claimed Representative Mills had attacked her. Officer Richard Mazloom documented bruises on her body that she attributed to Mills during an argument.
"This was from more than a year ago and the case was closed, and I was found to have had no wrongdoing," Mills told media outlets. "Even the MPD police supervisor who showed up determined no assault or probable cause had taken place."
During the investigation, the woman received a phone call and subsequently told Officer Mazloom that an unidentified man wanted her to say the marks were from a vacation and that she bruised easily. Mazloom believed this man to be Mills himself.
When officers spoke with Mills, he insisted any arrest would be "weaponized" against him and attempted to call then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, prompting officers to warn him against making calls. Mazloom informed Mills he needed to take him to the police station, but Mills questioned the move, citing a lack of evidence.
The situation shifted when another officer re-interviewed the woman. She then provided a different account, stating the two had gotten into a fight but she couldn't remember who threw the first punch.
Lieutenant Seth Anderson arrived at the scene and assessed the situation, telling 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 asked to show her bruises to the lieutenant, the woman claimed one was from eczema and another from riding a camel in Dubai.
Although Mills was not arrested that day, the Washington Post reports that police attempted to obtain an arrest warrant from U.S. Attorney Ed Martin the following day, but he declined to sign off on it.