CBS News reports:
A political action group is asking for an ethics investigation of North Carolina Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn, citing his pattern of bringing weapons into banned spaces and a possible inappropriate financial relationship with a staffer. It’s the latest conflict to erupt for the freshman lawmaker, once a rising star in the GOP, who has found himself at odds with his colleagues and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
The group, American Muckrakers PAC, wrote to the Office of Congressional Ethics on Wednesday asking for an investigation after Cawthorn was cited — but not charged — for attempting to bring a loaded gun through security at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. The PAC also cited four occasions when he brought a dagger onto North Carolina public educational property
The Insider reports:
Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina is facing a flurry of alleged ethics violations related to his personal finances and increasingly erratic behavior. A member of Cawthorn’s own party — Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina — has even called on congressional investigators to target the freshman congressman.
But don’t count on Congress to act swiftly, if it acts at all. That’s because Congress’ internal ethics investigations process is notoriously slow and opaque, often lasting many months.
And if a member of Congress resigns or loses re-election in the midst of a congressional investigation — both plausible outcomes for Cawthorn — the House Committee on Ethics will cease any effort.
Fox has picked up the homoerotic horseplay story:
Footage showing Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., joking about sex with his male aide in a car surfaced Thursday. The video appears to be shot on a cellphone and shows Cawthorn, 26, speaking in the driver’s seat of a vehicle. It was filmed by his aide, Stephen Smith, 23, according to the Daily Mail.
“I feel the passion and desire and would like to see a naked body beneath my hands,” Cawthorn says blankly. The duo both start laughing as Smith agrees. The video then shows Smith reaching over into Cawthorn’s crotch before abruptly ending.
Sen. Thom Tillis is calling for an insider trading investigation of Rep. Madison Cawthorn, over concerns about his ownership of an anti-Biden cryptocurrency. https://t.co/sGXQlr7ZsS
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) April 29, 2022
Cawthorn calls ethics complaint ‘pathetic’ as controversies mounthttps://t.co/Ddzs5HZyCE #ncpol
— Colin Campbell (@RaleighReporter) April 29, 2022
When even Fox News is reporting this, it all becomes more clear why Maddie Cawthorn punches trees. https://t.co/qO7cS2z5wv
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) April 29, 2022