Disgraced ex-Rep. Madison Cawthorn arrested days after announcing political comeback plot
By Patrick Reilly
Disgraced former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn was arrested in Florida – just days after it emerged he is plotting a return to Congress.
The 28-year-old Republican was arrested early Wednesday at his new home in Cape Coral after being a no-show in court over a citation last month for driving without a valid license, according to GulfCoastNewsNow.
His reps confirmed that he “was arrested … for failure to appear for a routine traffic infraction.”
Former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn was arrested in Lee County, Florida on Sept. 10, 2025.
Lee County Sheriff's Office
“Madison keeps a very busy schedule and, due to a scheduling misunderstanding, did not appear in court this morning,” his reps said.
“Following processing Madison was immediately released.”
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Cawthorn was booked and released on a $2,000 bond, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Cawthorn is preparing to launch a campaign to run for congress in Florida’s 19th District, Axios reported last week.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn speaks before former President Donald Trump at a rally in Selma, North Carolina, on April 9, 2022.
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Rep. Madison Cawthorn speaks before former President Donald Trump at a rally in Selma, North Carolina, on April 9, 2022.
AP
A police officer speaks with Cawthorn on the side of the road after a car crash in Florida.
The former representative served North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District for just one, scandal-ridden term, which included his wild accusations that lawmakers on Capitol Hill invited him to orgies and snorted cocaine in front of him.
In 2024, Cawthorn was accused of tailgating a woman and then rear-ending a Florida Highway Patrol officer in Collier County, although he did not face any serious charges from the incident.
Cawthorn has been in a wheelchair since he was partially paralyzed in a car accident at the age of 18.
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