Ethics watchdog: Top aide to Georgia’s Mike Collins improperly hired girlfriend as intern

ATLANTA (AP) - A congressional ethics watchdog said in a report released Monday that there's substantial reason to believe the former chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Mike Collins hired his girlfriend as an office intern and that she "did not perform duties commensurate with her compensation."

The former chief of staff, Brandon Phillips, is now working for Collins' Senate campaign.

Collins is one of three leading GOP contenders seeking to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia this year. The other top Republicans include U.S. Rep Buddy Carter and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley.

Russell Duncan, a lawyer for Collins, recommended that the Office of Congressional Conduct dismiss the matter. He said that the claims came from "two disgruntled, former members of Congressman Collins' staff."

"The evidence is this hiring was proper and done to assist the office in serving the interests of the district," Duncan wrote in a Dec. 31 letter. "Mr. Phillips' decision to hire this intern was well within his discretion in managing the congressman's office."

The House Ethics Committee, which received the report, said it is extending its review of the complaint, which was first received in October.

The Office of Congressional Conduct found that the woman was paid $5,044 in November and December 2023 and $5,244.44 in October, November and December 2024 for work in Collins' district office in Georgia. Witnesses said they never saw the woman work in the office. Duncan said those payments were for "valuable assistance" on communications and other work the woman did throughout 2023 and 2025 and into 2025.

"There is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Collins used congressional resources for unofficial or otherwise unauthorized purposes," the office wrote.

The six board members of the Office of Congressional Conduct voted unanimously to adopt the report. They include two former Republican members of Congress from Georgia - Lynn Westmoreland and Jody Hice. Collins succeeded Hice in representing Georgia's 10th Congressional District, which runs from the eastern Atlanta suburbs through Athens.

The report said the investigators had also received accusations that Phillips misused congressional travel funds and may have performed campaign work while drawing a salary for congressional work. But the office said it hadn't been able to determine if those claims were true.

The woman hired as an intern didn't respond to investigators' requests. The watchdog recommended that the House Ethics Committee subpoena Collins, Phillips, the woman and three other current and former Collins staffers. None of them cooperated with the investigation.

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

Phillips is a longtime Republican political operative. He was Donald Trump's state director in 2016 until he resigned when news outlets reported he had been charged with battery and felony criminal damage in 2008. Phillips pleaded guilty to lesser criminal trespassing and battery charges after admitting he destroyed one person's laptop and slashed another person's tires.

Collins' rivals are already taking aim.

"These are serious allegations and Collins has some explaining to do to the people of Georgia," said Harley Adsit, a spokesperson for Carter. "One thing is now clear: Collins as the Republican nominee would be a gift to Jon Ossoff, one Georgians can't afford to give."

Citing Phillips' history, the Democrats Senate Majority PAC said Phillips' employment was a blot on Collins.

"Why did Mike Collins put someone with this record in charge of his office - and why did he keep him there?" the PAC wrote in a social media post.