Madison Cawthorn cleared of inappropriate relationship with congressional staffer but fined over crypto coin

Trump-backed congressman lost re-election bid after string of public scandals

Madison Cawthorn has been cleared of having an improper relationship with a member of his congressional staff after he became embroiled in a string of scandals in the run-up to his primary election earlier this year.

The right-wing Republican congressman, who lost his re-election bid, was cleared of the improper relationship and of claims of nepotism by the House Ethics Committee.

In its report, the committee referenced “public discussion in news articles and on social media” about a series of leaked “photographs and videos depicting the two of them engaging in explicit and sexually suggestive comments and conduct.”

The committee stated that both Mr Cawthorn and the member of staff had “denied having any romantic or sexual relationship” and ruled out any nepotism as the male member of staff was “not a first cousin” of the lawmaker.

Mr Cawthorn, who was backed by one-term president Donald Trump, claimed at the time that pictures of him in women’s underwear and of another man touching his crotch were just “goofy” and part of an establishment Republican smear campaign against him.

Meanwhile, the committee did order Mr Cawthorn to pay more than $15,000 for improperly promoting a cryptocurrency.

A report released by the committee stated that it could not conclude if the outgoing Republican lawmaker had intended to profit from the “LGB” meme coin, named after the “Let’s Go Brandon” Joe Biden insult.

But they found that the Representative from North Carolina had bought the LGB coin on more favourable terms than was available to members of the public, violating House rules on accepting a gift.

The committee unanimously voted to order Mr Cawthorn to pay $14,237.49, the value of the gift, to a charity within 14 days.

He must also pay a $1,000 late filing fee, as well as file a periodic transaction report on the purchase of any cryptocurrency.