The Washington Post reports:
House Republican leaders met Wednesday with Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R) after the North Carolina lawmaker sparked outrage among some members of his party with his claims about an “orgy” invitation and alleged drug use among unnamed members of Congress.
Cawthorn was seen leaving the office of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) Wednesday morning after a meeting that lasted about half an hour. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) also attended the meeting, according to Politico.
Read the full article.
NEW: McCarthy says he met with Cawthorn over his recent comments about members participating in orgies and doing cocaine.
McCarthy tells me & others he told Cawthorn: “he’s lost my trust is gonna have to earn it back. And I laid out to everything that I find is unbecoming”
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) March 30, 2022
McCarthy tells me “there very well could be” more action he takes against Cawthorn beyond his stern warning and tense meeting
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) March 30, 2022
McCarthy: “This is unacceptable. There’s no evidence to this. Um, He changes what he tells and that’s not becoming of a Congressman he left. He did not tell the truth … that’s unacceptable”
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) March 30, 2022
“The Constitution gives you the age when you can serve in Congress. But when you’re in Congress, you should respect the institution and you should focus on the work that you should do,” McCarthy said
— Alayna Treene (@alaynatreene) March 30, 2022
McCarthy, asked if he wants to know the names of the individuals that Cawthorn suggested took part in the orgies and cocaine consumption, said Cawthorn told him:
He “thinks he saw maybe a staffer in a parking garage maybe 100 yards away and that he doesn’t know what is.”
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) March 30, 2022
GOP leader says: “You can’t make statements like that as a member of Congress, it affects everybody else and the country as a whole.”
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) March 30, 2022
NEW: Rep. Madison Cawthorn admitted in a tense meeting with Rep. Kevin McCarthy that his claims that House GOP colleagues have done cocaine and invited him to orgies were "exaggerated," the House GOP leader told Axios.https://t.co/cvetHmm31q
— Axios (@axios) March 30, 2022