Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) used her time during War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s hearing before the House Armed Services Committee to accuse Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) of stolen valor.
While Hegseth’s hearing was characterized by continued sparring with Democratic lawmakers over the war in Iran and the military budget, Mace used her five minutes to take things in a completely different direction. She didn’t present any questions to Hegseth; instead, she devoted her time to denouncing Mills and commemorating her father.
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“I request unanimous consent to enter a number of documents into the record, the first of which is a statement from … Cory Mills, first sergeant, stated that his forms and accounts of his military service are falsified,” she began.
Mace then introduced several documents into the record, including evidence contradicting his wartime claims. One allegedly showed Mills wearing a Bronze Star before he was ever awarded one.
“I just buried my father on Thursday, Mr. Chairman. My father died with shrapnel in his body. He had three tours of combat … I take stolen valor seriously because we have men and women in uniform that have given their lives, and an individual that steals the stories of dead soldiers or injured soldiers have no right to serve in this body, let alone on this committee. And so I take it very seriously,” she said.
Mace also showed a picture of Mills with an alleged Russian prostitute.
She went on to praise Hegseth’s work, then moved to the next person without asking any questions.
Mills, who is also on the House Armed Services Committee, wasn’t present when Mace made her allegations, but appeared later to respond and ask his own questions of Hegseth.
He added his own evidence to the record supporting his war record and contradicting Mace’s claims. He apologized to Hegseth for the detour and compared their situations.
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“As you know, you’re pretty familiar with the ideas of slander, defamation, attack on character. So I apologize for having to take that moment to be able to go ahead and correct the record, but it was necessary,” Mills said.
Mills faces challenges to his position from several fronts, including allegations of domestic abuse and sexual misconduct. He is under a House ethics investigation, leading to increasing calls for his resignation. Mace has been at the forefront of GOP calls for his resignation.
