Democrats are focusing on an ethics complaint filed against Republican congressional hopeful Ryan Elijah, who recently defeated Rep. Cory Mills in a primary election. The complaint alleges that Elijah failed to adequately disclose assets held in his retirement accounts on his financial disclosures.
A voter in Florida's 7th Congressional District filed the complaint with the House Ethics Committee, asserting that Elijah did not identify the specific underlying assets within his Fidelity 401(k) and Charles Schwab retirement accounts, valued at over $1 million combined. The complaint argues that House rules require such itemization, leaving a significant portion of his portfolio undisclosed to voters.
Elijah's campaign acknowledged the oversight, with a spokesperson stating it was an "honest mistake" and that they were amending the filing. "We didn’t itemize the retirement accounts valued at approximately one million dollars, which apparently is a common mistake as even the complaint acknowledges," the spokesperson told The Post.
Despite the district being rated as "likely" Republican by The Cook Political Report, Democrats are expressing interest in the race. They hope to capitalize on the controversy surrounding the complaint, drawing parallels to the scandals that plagued Mills, the incumbent Elijah defeated.
"Ryan Elijah spent his entire primary campaign not disagreeing with Cory Mills on policy but making the Congressional Ethics Committee investigation the lynchpin of his campaign without making sure that his own house was in order," said Travis Tazelaar, political director at the Democratic VoteVets group. Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, echoed this sentiment, accusing Elijah of "denying voters the ability to identify potential conflicts of interest."
Rep. Mills faced multiple investigations during his tenure, including accusations of assault against a Republican activist and allegations of attempting to blackmail an ex-girlfriend with revenge porn. The House Ethics Committee also scrutinized his financial disclosures. Mills was not charged in the assault incident, and the accuser later retracted elements of her complaint.
Elijah, a former TV anchor, had campaigned against Mills by highlighting the congressman's controversies, warning that Mills would be vulnerable in a general election. The primary race saw Elijah defeat the Trump-endorsed Mills.