Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) faced fresh scrutiny last month during a Washington, D.C. trip when asked about past cocaine allegations.
When questioned if “sniffing cocaine at work” should be considered a “human right,” Mills sharply replied, “What the f—?” before walking away and refusing follow-up questions.
This incident comes as renewed focus falls on a decades-old drug investigation.
A recently obtained Department of Justice (DOJ) memorandum disputes Mills’ long-standing claim that the probe was politically motivated, finding no misconduct by federal or state officials.
In 1990, Mills, then a Maine district attorney, was investigated after a drug suspect accused her of cocaine use.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) in Maine, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Maine’s Bureau of Intergovernmental Drug Enforcement (BIDE) were involved.
The investigation was dropped without charges, but Mills maintained it was politically driven due to her Democratic affiliation and criticism of BIDE, according to Fox News.
In March 1995, the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility (DOJ/OPR) issued a memorandum to then-Deputy Attorney General Merrick Garland, refuting Mills’ claims.
The memo said the USAO “conducted a proper investigation of serious allegations” and found “no misconduct of any kind can fairly be attributed to any member of that office.”
The probe gained public attention after a December 1990 WCSH-TV report cited law enforcement sources claiming Mills was under federal grand jury investigation for drug use.
Mills later sued the reporter for libel and slander, though court records show the case’s files were disposed of in 2015.
A 1991 article noted a judge dismissed efforts to end rumors surrounding the probe.
In 1992, then-Delaware Sen. Joe Biden requested the DOJ/OPR investigate claims that Maine’s USAO refused to probe grand jury leaks and that attorneys intimidated witnesses.
These concerns were raised by Patrick Paradis and N. Paul Gauvreau, Maine Legislature Judiciary Committee chairs, who said the issue extended beyond state agencies.
Despite allegations, the DOJ found Mills’ claims unsubstantiated.
This included accusations that investigators solicited false testimony, threatened witnesses or leaked grand jury information.
Mills insisted she was the target of a smear campaign, telling the Portland Press Herald in 1991, “I’d say it’s awfully coincidental that this investigation started and was leaked to the press shortly after my public comments about the lack of accountability at BIDE.”
She also said the probe set “a very bad precedent when a prosecutor has to look over his or her shoulder every time you put somebody in jail and wonder whether that person is going to find an audience down the street in the BIDE office or down the road in the U.S. Attorney’s Office to say dirty things about you.”
Fox News Digital sought comment from Mills’ office on the DOJ memo but received no response.
The controversy has resurfaced amid tensions between Mills and President Donald Trump.
Mills accused Trump of directing a “politically directed investigation” into Maine’s Department of Education.
The two publicly sparred in February over trans-identifying athletes competing in women’s sports.
Trump warned that Maine could lose federal funds if Mills did not comply with his executive order.
Mills replied, “We’ll see you in court.”
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