The U.S. Department of Justice is reopening an investigation into Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills amid longstanding allegations that she was a habitual cocaine user while serving as a district attorney in the 1990s—a scandal that could result in the dismissal of hundreds or thousands of convictions if substantiated.
The renewed interest in the case comes just months after Mills publicly rebuked President Donald Trump during a National Governors Association meeting, sparking speculation about the timing of the DOJ’s action.
Mills Dodges Questions
During a recent campaign event at Brodis Blueberries in Maine, Mills was confronted by a local attendee:
“Janet Mills, did cocaine give you the courage to stand up to President Trump at the governor’s breakfast?”
Mills laughed off the question and ignored a follow-up:
“Have you ever been under the influence while making critical decisions for the state of Maine?”
A video of the exchange went viral online. When pressed by a reporter about whether “sniffing cocaine at work is a human right,” Mills responded with a shocked:
“What the f**k?”
The History: Longstanding Allegations, Quiet Closure
The allegations date back to the early 1990s, when Mills was serving as District Attorney in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties. At the time, a joint investigation by the DEA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maine, and the Bureau of Intergovernmental Drug Enforcement (BIDE) examined claims made by a drug suspect who alleged Mills used cocaine regularly.
Though no charges were filed, the probe was very real—and controversial. Mills accused law enforcement of targeting her for criticizing inflated drug arrest statistics, calling the investigation a “political vendetta.”
“Maine apparently has a secret police force at work that can ruin the reputation of any who opposes it,” Mills told the Portland Press Herald in 1991.
However, a 1995 DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility memo—sent to Merrick Garland, then a top DOJ official—contradicted Mills’s narrative, finding no evidence of misconduct by the agents investigating her.
Mills also sued a local news station after it reported she was under grand jury investigation for drug use, claiming the station received leaked information from BIDE agents.
While court documents were destroyed in 2015, media reports from the time confirm the probe and Mills’s legal efforts to suppress the story.
Political Timing?
Mills, a vocal critic of President Trump, made headlines earlier this year when she challenged Trump to sue her over Maine’s transgender athlete policies. Her increasingly combative stance toward the administration has raised eyebrows.
Now, with the DOJ reopening the case, Mills is again claiming political targeting.
