Cawthorn admits he made up claims about GOP lawmakers doing cocaine and orgies

• Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) admitted to making fake claims that his fellow lawmakers invited him to orgies and did cocaine.
• His claims, which did not provide names, left Republican lawmakers to be bombarded with questions as to who could be involved.
• After his admission, Cawthorn was reprimanded by GOP leaders and far right-wing groups.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) has admitted on Wednesday that he made up his claims that his fellow lawmakers did cocaine and invited him to orgies.

Cawthorn had claimed in a podcast interview, “I look at all these people, a lot of them that I’ve looked up to through my life. Then all of a sudden, you get invited to … kind of a sexual get-together at one of our homes. And then you realize they are asking you to come to an orgy.”

Cawthorn’s claims, which did not provide names, caused Republican constituents to wonder who could be involved. His statements were particularly damaging to his party since he had clearly referred to conservative Republicans, not Democrats.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was among those bombarded with questions at Tuesday’s GOP caucus meeting, prompting him and No. 2 GOP leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) to confront the young congressman.

When Cawthorn admitted to making up the claims, McCarthy declared, “He changes what he tells and that’s not becoming of a congressman. He did not tell the truth (and) that’s unacceptable.”

McCarthy, who described Cawthorn’s actions as “unbecoming,” said that the latter could face further disciplinary action. “He’s lost my trust, he’s gonna have to earn it back,” he added.

Cawthorn, a stalwart supporter of former President Trump and a member of far right-wing Freedom Caucus, also received backlash from his group.

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), the group’s chair, told Politico, “I think it is important, if you’re going to say something like that, to name names.”

Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.), also criticized Cawthorn for “painting them with a broad brush.”

At 26 years, Cawthorn is the youngest member of Congress. He was elected in 2020 in a red-leaning western North Carolina district to replace fellow Republican Mark Meadows, who quit to become former President Trump’s chief of staff.

Following a feud with more mainstream GOP leaders in the Tarheel State, Cawthorn initially planned to seek reelection in a neighboring district, but has since decided to stay in his current Asheville-based district.

Source: Aol.com