Author: Nolan D. McCaskill
WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) – The U.S. House Ethics Committee said on Monday it was reviewing allegations against Georgia Rep. Mike Collins, a Republican Senate candidate, who is accused of paying more than $10,000 to an intern who dated his chief of staff and had no job.
Ethics committee leaders announced the investigation after an independent ethics panel released a 37-page report that found “substantial reason to believe” Collins abused congressional resources by paying an intern in a Georgia office who did not actually perform work.
The woman, Caroline Craze, worked at Cox Communications and was paid by Collins’ office, according to her LinkedIn account.
Kratz is reportedly dating Collins’ chief of staff, Brandon Phillips. Several witnesses told the ethics panel they feared retaliation against Phillips for cooperating with the review, citing reports of past violent crimes.
Lawyers for Collins and Phillips said Kratz was right to be hired and said the allegations came from disgruntled former aides. Craze could not immediately be reached for comment. Collins’ office said the “false complaint is a deplorable attempt to derail” one of the state’s most effective conservative lawmakers.
“Rep. Collins looks forward to providing all factual information to the House Ethics Committee and putting these baseless accusations to rest,” the office said.
Collins is one of three high-profile Republican candidates vying for Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in what is seen as one of the party’s best chances to increase its Senate majority in November’s midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the next two years.
(Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill; Editing by Andy Sullivan and David Gregorio)
