Mike Collins defends aide amid ethics probe, misconduct allegations

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins stands by a long-time aide who has stirred up controversy in Georgia.

Brandon Phillips, now the senior policy advisor of Collins, faces allegations of misusing taxpayer funds and a history of violent behavior.

Collins is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff. He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he has no plans to leave Phillips in the dust.

“He’s a great guy, and I have full confidence in him,” Collins said.

The House Ethics Committee announced a probe in November, and the Office of Congressional Conduct released a report Jan. 5 that it found “substantial reason to believe that Rep. Collins used congressional resources for unofficial or otherwise unauthorized purposes.” 

The committee alleges that Phillips, who was Collins’ chief of staff at the time, paid his girlfriend about $5,000 in 2023 and 2024, but she did not actually perform any work.

The report also found that Phillips worked full time on campaigns in the Summer of 2024 while receiving his full congressional salary. An AJC investigation found that Phillips received roughly $180,000 in reimbursements for office-related expenses.

Witnesses told investigators that they were worried about retaliation from Phillips due to his history of violent behavior, according to the AJC.

Here are instances that have come to light.

• Phillips pleaded guilty to criminal trespassing charges in 2015.
• Court documents from 2008 show he destroyed a laptop and slashed another person’s tires.
• He was charged with simple assault and battery in a quarrel with a neighbor.
• In 2022, he allegedly kicked GOP activist Tifani Eledge’s dog.
• During a fight at a Trump campaign event in 2024, he allegedly spat in someone’s face.
• In the Summer of 2025, he was involved in a brawl at a Washington bar, which was caught on video.

Republican strategist Brian Robinson told Fox 5 Atlanta that the allegations against Collins and his top aide could influence the results of the campaign.

“It’s never good to be in the final months of a campaign and be under (an) ethics investigation from the House of Representatives,” he said. “Every moment you go by with silence, it gives the appearance that you have done something improper, and it gives fuel to your opponents. It gives them ammunition to come after you.”