WASHINGTON — Rep. Cory Mills is under investigation Friday after DC police responded earlier this week to a reported domestic assault against a female Republican activist.
Sarah Raviani, the co-founder of Iranians for Trump, is listed as the victim on a Metropolitan Police Department report acquired by The Post, which says the alleged assault took place around midday Wednesday in a penthouse apartment a short walk from the National Mall.
A separate police report, described by NBC Washington, states that Raviani told police that “[h]er significant other for over a year” had “grabbed her, shoved her, and pushed her out of the door” and that there were “bruises on her arm which appeared fresh.”
That report also says Raviani let cops listen to a recorded phone call in which Mills “instruct[ed] her to lie about the origin of her bruises” and that Mills (R-Fla.) had himself “admitted [to officers] that the situation escalated from verbal to physical.”
In addition, the report obtained by NBC Washington stated that Raviani recanted her initial claim to the responding officers after Mills was told he was going to be arrested.
“This week, law enforcement was asked to resolve a private matter at Congressman Mills’ residence,” Mills, 44, said in a statement. “Congressman Mills vehemently denies any wrongdoing whatsoever, and is confident any investigation will clear this matter quickly.”
Mills, who is married to an Iraqi refugee who later gained American citizenship and has two sons, is in his second term representing Florida’s 7th District, which covers the area northeast of Orlando and south of Daytona Beach.
The luxury building where the alleged assault took place boasts a rare rooftop view of the White House and was at one time home to former President Joe Biden’s granddaughter Naomi.
In a statement Friday, Raviani appeared to absolve Mills of any wrongdoing.
“Wednesday, I reached out to law enforcement to address a personal matter. Several factors influenced my decision to involve the authorities. I had just returned from a 14-hour flight, severely jet-lagged and sleep-deprived. Additionally, I had been drinking during my vacation and had a drink in front of me when the officers arrived, which contributed to my emotional state,” Raviani said.
“Upon their arrival, they noticed some bruising and marks on my arms, which I explained were the result of medical conditions like eczema and activities from my recent trip to Dubai. While the personal matter in question was emotionally charged, there was no physical altercation.”
Raviani went on: “Regrettably, the situation has since been misrepresented by reporters and led to relentless harassment from various sources. Words have been taken out of context, and my privacy is being disregarded. This is a deeply personal matter that is being unfairly exploited for political purposes or other motives.”
It is unclear how Mills, an Iraq War veteran and former US Army sniper, became acquainted with Raviani or why the two were together at the time of the encounter.
“MPD officers were called to the 1300 block of Maryland Avenue, Southwest around 1:15 p.m. Wednesday for the report of an assault,” the department said in a statement. “This is an active criminal investigation and there is no further information on the case to provide at this time.”
“Once MPD leadership became aware of this matter there was an immediate review of our initial response to ensure all procedures were followed. MPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is currently investigating this matter.”
