North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn has been charged with driving with a revoked license for a second time. This misdemeanor could land him in jail for up to 20 days.
The Republican was pulled over by the highway patrol around 10:26 a.m. March 3 while driving in Cleveland Country, the Asheville Citizen Times first reported, citing court records and a highway patrol spokesman.
The spokesman, Sgt. Marcus Bethea, revealed the stop happened after Trooper Tyler Gannt saw a 2019 Toyota truck cross the center line on US 74B. “The driver was identified as David Madison Cawthorn, 26 years old of Hendersonville, NC,” Bethea told the outlet.
“During the course of the investigation it was determined that the driver’s license was in the state of revocation and he was subsequently charged with driving while license revoked.”
In addition to the misdemeanor charge, Cawthorn faces two pending speeding citations in Buncombe County, where he was driving 89 mph in a 65-mph zone in October, and Polk, where he was clocked driving 87 mph in a 70-mph zone in January.
The conservative congressman was reportedly “very polite and cooperative” during last week’s incident.
Driving with a license revoked is a Class 3 misdemeanor offense in North Carolina that carries a maximum sentence of 20 days in jail or a $200 fine.
A court date for Cawthorn’s charge has been set for May 6. Hearings for the speeding citations have been set for April 18 for the Polk incident and May 3 for the Buncombe citation.
“Our office expects the traffic matters to be resolved quickly and we remain focused on serving the constituents of NC-11,” his office said in a statement to The Post.
Last week’s incident is not the first time Cawthorn has been charged with driving with a revoked license. Court records reviewed by the Citizen Times revealed the congressman was charged in 2017 with driving while license revoked, though it was later dismissed.
Cawthorn was elected to Congress in November 2020, defeating Democratic opponent Moe Davis.
In December, Cawthorn announced that he and wife, Cristina, were divorcing after only eight months of marriage, as the conservative lawmaker admitted their lives had changed “overnight” after he was elected to Congress.
Cawthorn will be running for reelection in this fall’s midterm elections, however he will be running in North Carolina’s western-most district following congressional redistricting in the state.
20 days in jail for an expired drivers license offense. I have heard of DUI drivers, driving on a suspended license get less of a citation over and over again, than this. Obviously, the judge is a Liberal $h%t head because this is a ridiculous punishment. Totally geared as a target to a Republican. A Dem would have gotten a slap on the wrist…if that!
That’s the max according to state law, not the sentence of the judge. The sentencing has not been done yet, and you know he will get a slap on the wrist because of his position. To be honest, I don’t understand how such an a-hole got to be a Congressman. Obviously, a sympathy vote.
That’s sounds very possibly true. I know of friends here in Hawaii that can’t get appointments for renewing their drivers license for months. Our system is messed up badly.
Come on! Renew your license, stay in your lane and slow down!