Baseless Blast Backfires – Apology Follows

Man in a suit speaking outside a neoclassical government building — Photo: Philip Yabut / Shutterstock

James Fishback publicly retracted and apologized for falsely claiming that Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills were under a federal sex-trafficking investigation, accepting the Department of Justice’s denial as fact.

Story Highlights

Fishback called his August allegation a “terrible mistake” and apologized to both families.
He accepted the Department of Justice denial and said neither congressman is under investigation.
The original claim named dates, a location, and alleged conduct, but it is now withdrawn.
A Mills aide urged Fishback to exit politics after the retraction, calling the claim false.

Fishback Issues Full Retraction And Apology

On October 28, James Fishback apologized for saying in August that Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills were under federal investigation. Fishback wrote that he made a “terrible mistake,” accepted the Department of Justice statement that neither man is under investigation, and apologized to “Byron, Cory, and their families”. He said he acted on information from someone he trusted, but now withdraws the claim. He added that neither congressman nor their lawyers asked him to issue the apology.

Fishback’s August claim was specific and serious. Reports said the allegation tied Donalds and Mills to two 2024 dates at MGM National Harbor in Maryland and described paid sexual conduct. Those details made the claim sound concrete, but the Department of Justice later rejected the idea that Donalds was under any such investigation, and an official called the allegation “absolutely false”. Reporting also said any inquiry touching Mills was financial in nature, not sexual.

Department Of Justice Denial And Campaign Pushback

The Department of Justice denial cut through the noise and undercut the charge. A spokesperson said Donalds was not under investigation, and a law-enforcement official called the allegation “absolutely false”. Media noted that separate reporting described any matter involving Mills as finance-related, not sexual. The Donalds campaign blasted the accusation at the time as a “baseless and defamatory sideshow,” rejecting the claim on its face as false.

After the retraction, a strategist for Mills said Fishback should leave politics over the false claims. That response shows how damaging such charges can be, even after a correction. Research on political misinformation finds that false accusations can still shape impressions even when later corrected, which helps explain why campaigns fight hard to shut down smears fast. Conservatives know this pattern well: drop a bomb before a vote, then walk it back later after the harm is done.

What This Means For Voters And Accountability

Voters deserve facts, not rumors. Fishback now accepts that neither Donalds nor Mills is under a federal sex-trafficking investigation, and he has apologized. That matters for fairness and truth. But timing also matters. The claim came less than two weeks before a Republican primary and the apology months later, which can leave a stain that should never have been there. This is why due diligence, not hearsay, must guide any public charge.

Fishback previously accused Donalds, as well as U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, of being under a sex trafficking investigation. The DOJ had said those claims were false. https://t.co/6oaMoWol5H

— 10 Tampa Bay News (@10TampaBay) October 29, 2026

For conservatives, this episode reinforces core principles. Do not weaponize law enforcement or smear opponents. Protect due process and the presumption of innocence. Demand evidence before making claims that can wreck families and careers. The Department of Justice denial, the retraction, and the apologies now stand. The right path is clear: debate policy, defend liberty, and hold leaders to account with facts in full daylight—not with last-minute rumor and innuendo.