WASHINGTON, D.C. — The chief of staff for Georgia Rep. Mike Collins is under investigation after being accused of hiring and paying a woman he was romantically involved with for an internship she allegedly never performed.
According to a report from the Office of Congressional Conduct, Brandon Phillips is accused of hiring his girlfriend, Caroline Craze, as a paid district office intern beginning in 2023. Investigators say multiple witnesses reported Craze did not work in Collins’ district office and was never seen there.
The report says Craze was paid $5,044 for the internship during November and December of 2023. She was also paid an additional $5,244.44 for the same role between October and December of 2024. Investigators concluded Craze received more than $10,000 in pay over roughly four months while holding a full-time job elsewhere.
The Office of Congressional Conduct says it found substantial reason to believe Phillips violated House rules by participating in the hiring and retention of an employee with whom he had a personal relationship.
The report also raises concerns that Phillips may have misused congressional resources for unofficial or unauthorized purposes.
Investigators additionally flagged concerns that Phillips may have collected a government salary while engaging in campaign-related activities.
The findings were detailed in a 33-page referral released Monday and have been forwarded to the House Ethics Committee. The Office of Congressional Conduct recommended the committee further investigate the matter and consider issuing subpoenas to Rep. Collins, Phillips, Craze, and others listed in the report.
Collins, a Republican who is running for U.S. Senate in Georgia, is one of three leading GOP contenders seeking to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. The Ethics Committee has not yet announced whether it will take further action.
