Maine Democrat Governor Janet Mills is facing renewed scrutiny over decades-old cocaine allegations after a resurfaced Department of Justice memo contradicted her long-standing claims that the investigation into her alleged drug use was politically motivated. The controversy gained fresh momentum last month during a trip to Washington, D.C., when Mills was caught off guard by a reporter’s blunt question about the scandal.
“What the f—?” Mills snapped when asked if “sniffing cocaine at work” was a “human right.” She then ignored a follow-up question about inflation’s impact on the price of an “eight-ball” and walked away without commenting further.
The exchange was caught on video and shared with Fox News Digital, shortly after the outlet published a detailed report refuting Mills’ version of events from a 1990 federal drug investigation. Mills, then serving as a district attorney in Maine, was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, DEA, and Maine’s Bureau of Intergovernmental Drug Enforcement (BIDE) following allegations from a drug suspect that she had used cocaine. No charges were filed.
Every media outlet in Maine ignored these documents re the Janet Mills cocaine investigation.
In related news, both the Press Herald and the Bangor Daily get valuable no-bid contract payoffs from the Mills Admin. https://t.co/gbVwEa2mLs
— Steve Robinson (@BigSteve207) June 29, 2025
Mills has long asserted that the probe was a politically motivated smear campaign, triggered by her public criticism of BIDE’s arrest tactics and inflated drug enforcement statistics. In 1991, she told the Portland Press Herald, “Maine apparently has a secret police force at work that can ruin the reputation of any who opposes it.”
However, a 1995 DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility memo, addressed to the Deputy Attorney General (then involving Merrick Garland), concluded the exact opposite. The memo found that the investigation was properly conducted, and that none of Mills’ allegations — including claims of political targeting, coerced witnesses, or press leaks — could be substantiated.
“The USAO in Maine conducted a proper investigation of serious allegations; no misconduct of any kind can fairly be attributed to any member of that office,” the memo stated.
The revelation undermines Mills’ decades-long public narrative and has reignited political interest in her past. While Mills has dismissed the probe as a partisan attack, the DOJ’s internal investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing by federal or state officials.
Adding to the complexity is Mills’ current political standing. Though she has claimed she does not plan to seek another office after being term-limited out as governor in 2026, her name is being floated as a potential Democratic challenger to Senator Susan Collins, who is up for re-election that same year. In April, Mills said she had no intention of running but added, “things change week to week, month to month.”
The resurfacing of the cocaine controversy comes as Mills has also clashed publicly with President Donald Trump. Earlier this year, the two sparred during a National Governors Association meeting over federal funding and transgender athletes, with Trump threatening to withhold aid if states failed to comply with his executive order banning biological males from competing in women’s sports. Mills responded, “We’ll see you in court.”
