Republican Representative Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina could spend up to twenty days in jail after being charged with driving with a revoked license for the 2nd time, a Class 3 misdemeanor in his state.
According to The Asheville-Citizen Times, highway patrol pulled Cawthorn over in Cleveland County, North Carolina earlier this month.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn charged with driving with revoked license for 2nd timehttps://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2022/03/09/nc-rep-madison-cawthorn-charged-driving-revoked-license-court/9439056002/\u00a0\u2026— Jesse Rodriguez (@Jesse Rodriguez) 1646855727
And, the newspaper noted, this isn't the first time Cawthorn has faced similar charges.
In 2017, authorities charged Cawthorn with driving with a revoked license, though that charge was later dismissed. He also has a record for speeding: He was charged with speeding earlier this year after he drove 87 miles per hour in a 70-mile-per-hour zone and was previously brought up on the same charge in October 2021 for driving 89 miles per hour in a 65-mile-per-hour zone.
A court date for the misdemeanor has been scheduled for May 6. The two separate speeding citations, which took place in Polk and Buncombe Counties, are set to be heard on April 18 and May 3 respectively.
Many criticized Cawthorn in the wake of the arrest, with at least one person noting that he would not have been able to slide if he were not a member of Congress.
Others noted the hypocrisy of Cawthorn's insistence that people should have driver licenses in order to vote while driving with a revoked license himself.
Cawthorn facing three separate driving while license revoked charges. As an Assistant Public Defender and former prosecutor I\u2019ve seen hundreds of poor folks spend weeks in jail for the exact same situation.\n\nI\u2019m not suggesting Cawthorn be jailed, I\u2019m pointing out the injustice.— Jason Minnicozzi (@Jason Minnicozzi) 1646915485
why are these people above the law ? @TheJusticeDept 3 times here isn't a charm, its jail time.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/madison-cawthorn-driving-revoked-license-charge/\u00a0\u2026— bloodraven43 (@bloodraven43) 1646918178
Little Maddie cawthorn, republican from North Carolina, wants you to be required to have a driver's license to vote but he drives a car without one. Ticketed twice to suspended license. Where I come from they call that hypocrisy.— Trey Merritt (@Trey Merritt) 1646933897
Madison Cawthorn, MAGA\u2019s very own Hitler-enthusiast, has been caught driving with a revoked license for. a. second. time. \n\nIsn\u2019t he part of the \u2018law and order\u2019 party? \n\n#ResistanceUnited #DemVoice1pic.twitter.com/XRanqe7vOm— Ashley Loves Democracy \u2728\u2665\ufe0f\ud83c\udf31\ud83c\udf0f\ud83e\udd41\ud83c\udf08\ud83d\udd76\ud83d\udc1d\ud83c\udf0a\u2728 (@Ashley Loves Democracy \u2728\u2665\ufe0f\ud83c\udf31\ud83c\udf0f\ud83e\udd41\ud83c\udf08\ud83d\udd76\ud83d\udc1d\ud83c\udf0a\u2728) 1646922260
Madison Cawthorn got arrested AGAIN for driving with a revoked license.\n\nThat little punkass moron traitor thinks he\u2019s above the law, and it\u2019s time we start holding him accountable for his myriad crimes.\n\nWay past time.— The USA Singers (@The USA Singers) 1646884284
Considering Donald Trump waged a coup and incited the Jan 6 terrorist attack yet he has not been held accountable, why wouldn't Madison Cawthorn think he could get away with driving with a suspended license.https://twitter.com/thedailybeast/status/1501666654895415304\u00a0\u2026— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@(((DeanObeidallah)))) 1646918072
GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn has been charged with driving with a revoked license \u2014 his THIRD traffic offense reported by North Carolina State Highway Patrol in the last six months.\n\nHow about confiscating this criminal as*hole\u2019s car at this point?— Jon Cooper (@Jon Cooper) 1646922671
Wait, so you're telling me that Madison Cawthorn wants everyone to have a driver's license to vote...but he doesn't have a valid one himself?— Rex Zane (@Rex Zane) 1646924263
"Everyone must have a valid driver's license to vote!"\n\n-- Madison Cawthorn, who doesn't have a valid driver's license.https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/09/rep-madison-cawthorn-charged-with-driving-with-revoked-license-second-time/\u00a0\u2026— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@Mrs. Betty Bowers) 1646886319
The incident is not the first time Cawthorn has run afoul of the law, having generated headlines for behavior his critics have derided as reckless.
Cawthorn even has a history of unlawfully carrying weapons, as when he sparked controversy when he was accused of bringing a large knife to a school board meeting in his district.
Cawthorn, who appeared at the school board meeting to protest COVID-19 restrictions and mask mandates, denied the allegations, saying he didn't "know anything about it."
Back in February, Cawthorn was stopped at the Asheville Regional Airport after Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents discovered an unloaded Glock 9mm handgun and loaded magazine in Cawthorn's carry-on luggage.
Cawthorn's gun was confiscated. He was allowed to retrieve it when he returned to Asheville.
