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By Faye James
US news reporter
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James Fishback has retracted his claim that Florida Representatives Byron Donalds and Cory Mills were under federal investigation. He said he made a "terrible mistake" and apologized to the congressmen and their families.
Fishback made the original allegation in early August, during a Republican primary contest in which he and Donalds were rivals for the Florida governor nomination. He said he had received the information from someone he trusted. In his new post on X, Fishback said he was retracting the claim after speaking with his priest and going to confession.
Newsweek has reached out to James Fishback, Representatives Byron Donalds and Cory Mills, and the Justice Department for comment out of hours via email and is awaiting responses.
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Fishback’s Full Apology
"I am writing this without consulting my lawyer because it is the right thing to do, regardless of the legal implications. In early August, I made a terrible mistake by claiming that Byron Donalds and Cory Mills were under federal investigation. I received this information from someone I trusted, but I accept the DOJ’s public statement that neither man is under investigation, which means that I bore false witness," Fishback wrote.
"As a Catholic, I take the Ten Commandments seriously. After speaking with my priest and going to confession, I have a moral obligation to publicly retract my statement and apologize.
"I apologize to Byron, Cory, and their families for what I said," Fishback added.
"To be clear, neither man nor their lawyers asked me to write this, and neither has ever contacted me about it.
"I sinned against my fellow man, and I am sorry. I ask God for forgiveness and pray that I can make amends."
What Fishback Claimed
Fishback wrote that the alleged investigation related to claims involving travel by Donalds and Mills to the MGM National Harbor resort in Maryland in 2024. He alleged prosecutors were examining two dates, May 17 and November 19.
"My legal team has spent weeks attempting to independently verify this investigation, and we have done just that," Fishback wrote. He also claimed his campaign had received documents and other materials from a whistleblower, including what he described as text messages involving Mills. Fishback shared documents alongside his post, but the materials have not been independently authenticated.
Fishback said that Donalds and Mills were entitled to the presumption of innocence. "Let me be crystal clear: Our Constitution entitles Congressmen Mills and Donalds to the presumption of innocence," Fishback wrote. "But while they deserve that presumption, voters deserve transparency."
He said he had given Donalds an opportunity to address the allegations publicly, writing: "I specifically gave Congressman Donalds the opportunity to make the fact he is under investigation public. But he chose not to."
Fishback also said he would not use the allegations in campaign advertising, describing the issue as one of transparency rather than politics.
"This is the first and last time I will discuss this publicly," Fishback wrote. "My campaign will not run any television ads or mailers detailing any of this because this is not political. It’s about transparency for Florida voters."
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What the Justice Department Said
The Justice Department’s public response in August specifically addressed Donalds, saying he was not under investigation. A law enforcement official also told Newsweek the allegation against Donalds was "absolutely false." The department’s public statement did not name Mills.
Fishback initially challenged the department’s denial, questioning whether its public response was enough to establish that no investigation existed. His latest post says he accepts a DOJ statement that neither man is under investigation. Newsweek has asked the department whether it issued a separate public statement concerning Mills.
Earlier media reports about a possible DOJ investigation into Mills concerned a separate matter. ABC News reported in July, citing multiple sources, that the department was investigating Mills and that the inquiry was partly related to his finances. That report did not substantiate Fishback’s later sex-trafficking allegation. Mills’ office said he was not aware of a DOJ investigation.
The House Ethics Committee is conducting a separate inquiry into allegations involving Mills, including potential violations of laws or House rules. An ethics inquiry is not a finding of wrongdoing.
Donalds Won the Republican Primary
Donalds won Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary on August 18, receiving 47.8 percent of the vote. Fishback finished third with 10.5 percent, behind Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, who received 25.2 percent.
Donalds is now the Republican nominee and faces Democrat David Jolly in the November general election.
Fishback’s DOGE Dividend Proposal
Fishback, the founder of investment firm Azoria, previously drew national attention with a proposal to return part of the savings attributed to the Department of Government Efficiency to taxpayers.
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk discussed the idea in 2025, but it did not become an approved federal payment plan.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Rebecca Flood and James Debens. The story will be updated if responses arrive from the pending email inquiries.
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