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Freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn Friday addressed the firestorm he created in Washington, D.C., by depicting his short time in Congress as one witnessing cocaine drug use, espionage and sexual perversion.
In a statement Friday, Cawthorn, R-N.C., didn’t walk back his recent comments but tried to distinguish that he wasn’t talking specifically about his fellow GOP lawmakers.
Representative Madison Cawthorn, a Republican from North Carolina, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, U.S., on Friday, July 9, 2021. Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at the the three-day conference, titled “America UnCanceled.” (Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Corruption and unethical activities exist in Washington,” Cawthorn, 26, said in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital. “It’s an indisputable fact. If you don’t think that’s true, you’ve not witnessed the Swamp.
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“My comments on a recent podcast appearance calling out corruption have been used by the left and the media to disparage my Republican colleagues and falsely insinuate their involvement in illicit activities.”
In a recent interview for the “Warrior Poet Society” podcast, Cawthorn recounted what he called an invitation “to an orgy,” saying that he has been sexually solicited by Washington officials. He also claims to have witnessed hard drug use and what he called “espionage.”
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The statements drew the ire of fellow Republicans who demanded to know names. GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called a meeting with Cawthorn to address the remarks.
WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 27: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks at a press conference at the Capitol building on August 27, 2021 in Washington, DC. Leader McCarthy said he wants House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to call Congress back in session and to take up legislation that would prevent President Biden from withdrawing troops until every U.S. Citizen is out of Afghanistan. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“I just told him he’s lost my trust, he’s gonna have to earn it back, and I laid out everything I find is unbecoming,” McCarthy told Axios after the meeting. “And, you can’t just say, ‘You can’t do this again.’ I mean, he’s, he’s got a lot of members very upset.”
Cawthorn didn’t offer an apology in the statement.
“I’ve considered for several days how best to address this controversy,” Cawthorn said. “The culture in Washington is corrupt. Human nature is fallen. Compromising activities occur because when other people can place you in compromising positions, they control you. It’s all about power- but my colleagues and I are fighting that corruption.”
Representative Madison Cawthorn, a Republican from North Carolina, gestures during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S., on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Photographer: Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images
He accused the left and the media of trying to use his words to divide the Republican Party.
“I will not back down to the mob, and I will not let them win,” Cawthorn said. “I will continue fighting for many years to come.”