Former Rep. Madison Cawthorn’s bid to return to the House of Representatives, this time representing Florida, has hit a speed bump just a week after he announced, when he was taken into police custody on Wednesday.
According to a report from the New York Post, the former North Carolina Republican failed to make a court appearance related to driving on an expired license which led the court to dispatch deputies to his Cape Coral home.
The report notes the ex-lawmaker blamed his no-show on a scheduling issue and he was subsequently booked and released on a $2,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.
Cawthorn served just one term in Congress before being ousted, and his time in office was filled with controversy and finger-pointing at other Republicans, whom he accused of engaging in cocaine-fueled orgies. That did not endear him to his colleagues, who did little to support his second run for office, and thereby doomed his chances.
Last week Axios reported that Cawthorn had decided to jump back into the political fray by running for the House seat currently occupied by Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) who is seeking to replace termed-out Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
As Kate Santaliz wrote for Axios, “Cawthorn, who once said the House Republican conference is full of degenerates, appears eager to rejoin his old colleagues. If elected, he'd almost certainly create fresh headaches for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).”
She added, “Donalds told Axios that Cawthorn approached him about his bid, but he didn't commit to backing him yet.”
You can read more from the Post here.