Topline
Former Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) pleaded guilty Friday to attempting to bring a loaded gun through security at an airport last year, according to multiple reports, resolving a case which bookended a series of scandals that led to his stunning political downfall and failed reelection bid last year.
Then-Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) watches results from the North Carolina primary election with … [+]
Key Facts
Cawthorn’s penalty for the third-degree misdemeanor charge of possession of a dangerous weapon on city property is reportedly a $250 fine.
The then-congressman was cited last April for having a gun in his carry-on bag at Charlotte Douglas International Airport—just weeks before he lost his reelection bid to a Republican primary challenger.
Cawthorn told reporters outside a Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, courthouse Friday that he was unaware he had a gun in his carry-on bag, and also strongly indicated he will seek elected office again, according to the Charlotte Observer.
Cawthorn’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
Crucial Quote
“I think I’ll return to politics one day,” Cawthorn reportedly said. “I love the country too much to sit on the sidelines forever. You need to get involved in politics or be destined to be ruled by lesser men.”
Key Background
Cawthorn’s once widely hyped political rise came to a screeching halt last May when he only captured 31.9% of the Republican primary vote in his bid for a second term in Congress, falling short of now-Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.). Cawthorn won election to the House in 2020 at age 25—making him the youngest person elected to Congress since Jed Johnson Jr. in 1964—and he quickly became a favorite among the hard-right. Former President Donald Trump repeatedly praised him as a future Republican leader, and was one of the few top Republicans who continued backing Cawthorn as his scandals captured national headlines last spring—while congressional Republican leaders distanced themselves from Cawthorn. Comments Cawthorn made suggesting D.C. political figures asked him to take part in a “sexual get-together” while drug control advocates did “key bumps” of cocaine in front of him particularly irritated Republican leadership, along with remarks calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “thug” at the head of an “incredibly evil government.” At the time Cawthorn made the comments, he was already reeling from numerous other controversies, like his “bucket list” visit to the vacation retreat of Nazi dictator and mass murderer Adolf Hitler, and allegations he regularly took “women to secluded areas to forcefully engage in unwanted sexual advances” while a student at Patrick Henry College.
Surprising Fact
If Cawthorn attempts a political comeback, it likely won’t be in his native North Carolina. Cawthorn said he moved to Florida following his primary loss.
Further Reading
A Time Line Of Madison Cawthorn’s Missteps—From Visiting Nazi Retreat To Wild Orgy Claims (Forbes)
Madison Cawthorn Loses GOP Primary Amid Controversies (Forbes)
‘He’s Lost My Trust’: McCarthy Rebukes Cawthorn Over Allegations Of Orgies And Cocaine Use (Forbes)
Madison Cawthorn Cited For Carrying Gun At Charlotte Airport (Forbes)
Rep. Madison Cawthorn Blasts Ukraine’s Zelensky As A ‘Thug’ (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/05/05/former-firebrand-rep-madison-cawthorn-pleads-guilty-to-bringing-gun-to-airport/