GOP leader: Cawthorn 'did not tell the truth' when he claimed Republican lawmakers invited him to orgy, used cocaine

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Rep. Madison Cawthorn made false claims of GOP lawmakers engaging in lewd activities

Posted 11:10 p.m. Mar 30, 2022 — Updated 11:55 p.m. Mar 30, 2022

WRAL Capitol Bureau

U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina privately met with the U.S. House’s top Republican, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, to discuss questionable claims made by Cawthorn about his colleagues, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday.

The meeting was first reported by Politico. McCarthy later told a group of reporters that the freshman congressman “lost my trust.”

During a recent appearance on the “Warrior Poet Society” podcast, Cawthorn alleged that Republican colleagues had previously invited him to an orgy and that he has also seen a fellow lawmaker use cocaine.

McCarthy told reporters after his Wednesday morning meeting that Cawthorn’s claims were inaccurate. “He did not tell the truth,” McCarthy said, according to CNN. “That’s unacceptable.”

The offices of Cawthorn and McCarthy didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from WRAL-TV.

The censure is the latest in a string of personal and political challenges—from international affairs to traffic stops—that have caused some of GOP allies to distance themselves from Cawthorn, 26.

This month, Cawthorn called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “thug,” prompting condemnation from some high-profile state Republicans and separation from others. News of the comments came days after Cawthorn had been charged with driving with a revoked license.

Some are now questioning whether he’ll win reelection, WRAL reported this week.

Allies distance themselves from NC's Madison Cawthorn, ex-supporters seek to oust him

Cawthorn is running in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, where he faces seven Republican primary challengers.

Cawthorn drew the ire of longtime Republicans in North Carolina when he decided to leave his home district to run for a more politically favorable seat last year that would also stifle the potential candidacy of state House Speaker Tim Moore. The districts were ultimately redrawn by a North Carolina court, prompting Cawthorn to announce his return to the westernmost seat.

Asked about Cawthorn, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina told reporters that Cawthorn has "been an embarrassment at times" to the GOP.

State Sen. Chuck Edwards is among Cawthorn’s top primary opponents in the race. According to Axios, Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger will attend a fundraiser for Edwards on Thursday in Raleigh.

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