LAKE CITY, Florida — Rep. Cory Mills, a two-term House Republican, is facing a legal challenge over allegations of causing emotional distress to Lindsay Langston, a 2024 Miss United States contestant and Republican state committee member, who has requested a restraining order. Mills, who is contesting the request in a Florida courtroom, has argued that his actions were never intended to be ‘salacious’ and that any videos obtained were related to Langston’s baking, not intimate content. The case has been part of a broader controversy in Mills’ political career, which has already included a withdrawn allegation of assault and an ethics investigation into potential conflicts of interest.
Mills, 45, has been vocal in his defense, stating that he never planned to circulate intimate videos or harm any of Langston’s future lovers, as he attempted to explain during a hearing in Lake City. He suggested that at one point he knew it would be politically damaging to take any such action. The legal proceedings are ongoing, with Circuit Judge Fred Koberlein set to issue a ruling once he receives final recommendations from attorneys, which are expected by next Thursday.
The case has drawn additional scrutiny due to the broader political context. Mills’ past allegations of assault and an ongoing ethics investigation have already cast a shadow over his public image. The legal proceedings are now intensifying, with both sides preparing for a ruling from the judge. Mills’ relationship with Langston unraveled after an incident in which police were called to investigate an alleged assault by the lawmaker against a woman. Both Mills and the woman denied that any assault took place, and Mills was not charged in the incident.
Langston testified earlier this month that the incident led her to conclude Mills was in a relationship with another woman. Her attorney has questioned the nature of their relationship, pointing out inconsistencies in Mills’ claims. Langston has described Mills as a ‘powerful’ and ‘wealthy’ member of Congress who first became involved with her in late 2021. She has maintained that she was terrified of Mills, citing his political influence and the emotional impact of their relationship.
During the first hearing, Langston spent extensive time explaining how scared she was of Mills, painting a picture of a man with significant power and wealth. She described him as a ‘powerful’ and ‘wealthy’ member of Congress who first became involved with her in late 2021. The second hearing focused on Mills’ testimony, with a key part of the proceedings centered on whether he had a sexually explicit video that he planned to release. He maintained that while Langston had sent him intimate videos, he no longer had access to them because his phone was damaged and had to be replaced.
Mills maintained that the videos he mentioned to Langston were those of her baking and that he intended to show any potential boyfriend of hers that the two of them had an ongoing relationship. He said that releasing such videos was not something he had any ‘intent to do,’ emphasizing that it would be politically damaging. Mills also contended that a message he sent, where he suggested a future boyfriend would need to ‘strap up cowboy,’ was not a threat of violence but instead a rodeo term suggesting a ‘wild ride.’ His attorney tried to undercut his testimony, questioning why he was still married after saying he planned to divorce his wife, and Mills responded that it was a complex business matter and ‘not a typical divorce.’
Langston’s attorney, Bobi Frank, tried to challenge Mills’ testimony, focusing on the consistency of his statements and the nature of their relationship. He also tried to get Langston to explain why she had turned to Anthony Sabatini, a combative Florida attorney known for challenging Mills in the 2022 GOP primary, for legal advice. She asserted again that she was ‘terrified’ of Mills and remains ‘afraid’ to go on a date because of his threats, though she stated she had not been physically harmed by him.
Mills first won his seat in 2022 after post-Census redistricting created new GOP-friendly lines for the 7th District, stretching from Orlando’s north suburbs to the Atlantic coast. His campaigns in both 2022 and 2024 were run with the aid of James Blair, a GOP consultant who now works as a deputy chief of staff for Trump and plays a key role in pushing the president’s agenda on Capitol Hill. The ongoing legal battle highlights the complex intersection of personal relationships, political influence, and public accountability, with the outcome of the restraining order request likely to have significant implications for Mills.