North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn has been concerned in so many scandals since his 2020 congressional election that we want a timeline to maintain monitor. Simply final week, an ethics grievance towards the freshman congressman was filed . Cawthorn did not disclose items and loans he supplied to Stephen L. Smith, his cousin and scheduler. In a video, Smith gropes Cawthorn’s crotch. And Venmo transactions between the 2 in 2018 and 2019 comprise messages equivalent to “getting bare for me in Sweden” and “the quickie on the airport.”
Cawthorn is going through a raft of Republican challengers, so North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis referred to as for an investigation into Cawthorn’s insider buying and selling involving a pump-and-dump cryptocurrency scheme. On April 26, he was caught — once more — carrying a loaded firearm by means of airport safety. And simply final month, he claimed to obtain an invitation to an orgy in Washington D.C. Later, he admitted he made all of it up.
In case you are having hassle maintaining, this is a complete timeline of Cawthorn’s scandals:
1 Jan. 6, 2021: Pushes false claims of election fraudulence at a “Cease the Steal” rally
Wanting over a crowd of impassioned January sixth rioters touting crimson MAGA indicators, Cawthorn introduced the 2020 presidential election was a fraud. “This crowd has some combat in it,” Cawthorn stated. “The Democrats, with all of the fraud they’ve completed on this election, the Republicans hiding and never preventing, they’re making an attempt to silence your voice. Make no mistake about it, they don’t need you to be heard.” Later, he acknowledged that if elections are stolen, there could be “extra bloodshed.”
2 Feb. 4, 2021: Cawthorn defends his Jan. 6 inciting speech
Whereas on January 23, Cawthorn did admit in an interview with CNN that the 2020 presidential election was “not fraudulent,” two weeks later, he backtracked. In an interview with Youtube host Carlos Watson, Cawthorn later refused to apologize for the “Cease the Steal” rally and for advocating violence on the riot.
“I do not remorse it, truly,” Cawthorn stated. “I used to be particularly making an attempt to get throughout to the people who, ‘Hey, I’m in Congress, I’m going right down to the Capitol proper now to talk in your behalf.'”
3 February 6, 2021: Particulars emerge about Cawthorn’s sexual harassment throughout faculty
In February 2021, Buzzfeed Information launched a bombshell report. Greater than a dozen former college students described cases of sexual harassment Cawthorn allegedly perpetrated whereas attending Patrick Henry Faculty, a small Christian college in Virginia. Cawthorn is accused of calling girls derogatory names on campus, forcing them to sit down on his lap and touching them with out their consent.
His “enjoyable drives” grew to become infamous amongst feminine college students. Ladies described feeling trapped as he lured them on off-campus drives and requested them intrusive questions relating to their virginity and sexual expertise. “It did not take lengthy for girls on campus to start out warning each other: You do not need to be alone with him, particularly in his automobile,” Buzzfeed described.
4 Aug. 30, 2021: Cawthorn calls jailed Jan. 6 rioters “political hostages”
At a Republican occasion in North Carolina, Cawthorn in contrast jailed January sixth rioters to “political prisoners” and claimed he wished to “bust them out of jail.” He additionally reiterated claims of election fraudulence and told attendees to “defend their youngsters” from the Covid vaccine. “I am going to let you know, anyone who tells you that Joe Biden was dutifully elected is mendacity,” he declared.
5 Feb. 1, 2022: Cawthorn sues North Carolina over the hassle to disqualify his reelection
In January, the nonprofit group Free Speech for Individuals filed a problem with the North Carolina State Board of Elections to take away Cawthorn’s identify from the re-election poll. Cawthorn’s help for January sixth rioters, they claimed, made him an “insurrectionist.” Cawthorn swiftly retaliated. He sued the state of North Carolina, claiming the State Board of Elections didn’t have the ability to take him off the poll.
“Working for workplace isn’t solely a fantastic privilege, it’s a proper protected below the Structure,” Cawthorn stated in a press release. “I really like this nation and have by no means engaged in, or would ever have interaction in, an riot towards america.”
Although a federal choose allowed Cawthorn to run for re-election in North Carolina’s eleventh congressional district, his odds at successful stay precarious — he retains solely 38% Republican help within the district.
6March 9, 2022: Cawthorn is caught driving with a suspended license
For a second time, Cawthorn was pulled over for driving with a revoked license — a misdemeanor that had the potential to land him in jail for 20 days. Just a few months prior, he racked up two dashing tickets throughout three North Carolina counties. Former North Carolina Senator Richard Burr commented, “On any given day, he is a humiliation.”
7 March 9, 2022: Cawthorn calls Zelensky a “thug”
On March 9, 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale, bloody invasion of Ukraine, Cawthorn determined to weigh in on Ukrainian president Zelensky. “Do not forget that Zelensky is a thug,” Cawthorn stated, addressing a bunch of supporters in Asheville, North Carolina in a video. “Do not forget that the Ukrainian authorities is extremely corrupt and it’s extremely evil and it has been pushing woke ideologies.”
Even Republicans had been horrified. “Like 90% of the nation is with Ukrainians and is against Putin,” stated South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. “So whenever you see a member of Congress say issues like this, the one factor I need you to know: they’re outliers.”
8 March 28, 2022: Cawthorn says he is been invited to a Washington D.C. “orgy”
Throughout a podcast interview with host John Lovell, Cawthorn in contrast the political system of Washington D.C. to the corrupt fictitious universe of “Home of Playing cards.” “Impulsively you get invited — ‘We will have a sexual get-together at certainly one of our houses, it’s best to come.’ …” he stated. “What did you simply ask me to return to? And then you definitely notice they’re asking you to return to an orgy. … A few of the folks main on the motion to try to take away habit in our nation, and then you definitely watch them do a key bump of cocaine proper in entrance of you. And it is like, that is wild.”
A number of Republican senators had questions for Cawthorn. “I feel it’s important, if you are going to say one thing like that, to call some names,” Rep. Scott Perry stated.
However after all, Cawthorn could not identify any names. In an interview with Home Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy, Cawthorn supplied little proof to again up his podcast allegations. In keeping with McCarthy, he “possibly” noticed a staffer doing cocaine in a parking storage 100 yards away.
A Freedom Caucus chief informed Politico that there have been responses from “throughout the political spectrum … saying ‘what the hell?'”
9 April 22, 2022: Pictures emerge of Cawthorn partying in lingerie
On April 22, Politico obtained unique images of Cawthorn carrying a lacy black bra, a sheer white lingerie high and enormous silver hoop earrings. Given Cawthorn’s public protection of hypermasculinity and opposition to Washington’s tradition of “sexual perversion,” the images appeared jarring. “I used to be raised on Proverbs and pushups,” Cawthorn stated in a 2020 podcast.
Cawthorn defended the images on Twitter.
“I assume the left thinks goofy trip images throughout a recreation on a cruise (taken waaay earlier than I ran for Congress) goes to by some means damage me?” he tweeted. “They’re working out of issues to throw at me… Share your most embarrassing vacay pics within the replies.”
10 April 26, 2022: Cawthorn brings a loaded gun to an airport — once more
For the second time in 14 months, airport safety discovered a loaded gun in Cawthorn’s baggage within the Charlotte, North Carolina airport. He was issued a misdemeanor for possession of a harmful weapon on metropolis property, a cost that carries a tremendous of as much as $13,900. The incident prompted Democratic leaders to write down a letter to TSA Administrator David P. Pekoske regarding the rising variety of firearms found by TSA officers.
“Those that break the regulation and endanger the protection of different passengers — and particularly repeat offenders equivalent to Rep. Cawthorn — have to be held to account,” Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., wrote.
11April 27, 2022: Cawthorn referred to as out for alleged involvementin insider cryptocurrency buying and selling
Cawthorn’s arch nemisis within the Senate, North Carolina’s Thom Tillis piled on within the ultimate days earlier than Cawthorn’s main, calling for an investigation into Cawthorn’s help for the “Let’s Go Brandon” cryptocurrency, a meme coin created in opposition to President Biden. In an Instagram submit on December 29, Cawthorn acknowledged he owned the forex and that it will “go to the moon” the next day.
It did. NASCAR driver Brandon Brown introduced the forex could be his main sponsor in the course of the 2022 racing season. On December 30, the “Let’s Go Brandon” cash soured in value to $570 million.
“Insider buying and selling by a member of Congress is a severe betrayal of their oath, and Congressman Cawthorn owes North Carolinians a proof,” Tillis stated in a tweet. “There must be an intensive and bipartisan inquiry into the matter by the Home Ethics Committee.”
Cawthorn’s non-disclosure might lead to an investigation by the Justice Division and the Securities and Change Fee.
