Rep. Mike Collins’ Chief of Staff Accused of Hiring and Paying Girlfriend Who Allegedly Performed No Work

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The chief of staff for Georgia Congressman Mike Collins is under investigation following allegations that he improperly hired and paid a woman with whom he was in a romantic relationship, despite claims that she performed no official duties for the office.

According to a report released by the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), Brandon Phillips is accused of hiring his girlfriend, Caroline Craze, as a paid intern in the congressman’s district office beginning in 2023. Investigators allege that Craze received compensation while never actually working in the office.

The OCC report states that Craze was paid $5,044 for her role as a District Office Paid Intern during November and December of 2023. She was later paid an additional $5,244.44 for the same position between October and December of 2024.

However, multiple witnesses told investigators that Craze was never present in the district office and was not known to perform any work-related duties. One witness told the OCC, “I am unsure what role she had. To my knowledge, she is not a student in any program which would be aligned for rules for an intern.”

Beyond the alleged no-show employment, investigators also raised concerns about possible misuse of congressional resources. The OCC reported that there was “substantial reason to believe that Mr. Phillips used congressional resources for unofficial or otherwise unauthorized purposes.”

The Board further found reason to believe that Phillips may have violated ethical standards by granting special treatment to someone with whom he had a personal relationship. The report states that Phillips may have “[discriminated] unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges by participating in the retention of an employee with whom Mr. Phillips had a personal relationship.”

As a result of these findings, the Office of Congressional Conduct has recommended that the House Ethics Committee review the matter further. The recommendation includes issuing subpoenas to Rep. Mike Collins, Brandon Phillips, Caroline Craze, and other relevant witnesses as part of the investigation.

Neither Rep. Collins nor Phillips has publicly responded to the allegations at this time. The case now moves to the House Ethics Committee, which will determine whether further action is warranted.