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Cawthorn refutes bombshell Rolling Stone allegations

Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-Hendersonville, speaks at a “stop the steal” rally on the morning of Jan. 6. C-SPAN screenshot Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-Hendersonville, speaks at a “stop the steal” rally on the morning of Jan. 6. C-SPAN screenshot

An Oct. 26 report in Rolling Stone  based on the claims of two anonymous sources places Western North Carolina freshman Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-Henderson) at the center of the planning of the Jan. 6 insurrection. 

The sources, said to be organizers of the Trump rally that took place in Washington, D.C.’s Ellipse just hours before demonstrators stormed the Capitol, claim that they were part of conversations about overturning President Donald Trump’s election loss with seven House members, or their offices — Cawthorn, Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). 

Cawthorn’s office issued an immediate response, denying the allegations. 

“These anonymous accusations are complete garbage,” reads a statement provided by spokesman Luke Ball. “Neither the congressman nor his staff had advance knowledge of what transpired at the Capitol on January 6th or participated in any alleged ‘planning process.’”

Also painted as a major insurrection figure in the Rolling Stone story is former NC-11 Congressman Mark Meadows, who vacated the seat to become Trump’s chief of staff in 2020. 

Meadows has been subpoenaed by the House’s Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the United States Capitol

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It’s not yet clear if Meadows will comply with the subpoena. Another man, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, refused to cooperate and was found to be in contempt by the House. Those charges have been forwarded to the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Cawthorn hasn’t been subpoenaed by the committee. 

When asked if he planned to comply in the event he is subpoenaed, Ball told The Smoky Mountain News he couldn’t commit outright. 

“Congressman Cawthorn will review any request related to the commission that comes his way and take it into consideration at that time,” Ball said. “We can’t make a blanket promise without reviewing the commission’s specific requests. 

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7 comments

  • Rep. Cawthorn's words on live television at the insurrection rally and his recorded words at various meetings of fellow travelers in la-la land convict him. He is not a patriot; he is an anarchist who urges people to get out their guns and refuse to obey laws they disagree with. Individuals refusing to submit to their own government's laws is exactly what anarchy is.

    As for the pro-insurrection comments below, there is ample evidence from their own posts on Facebook and the testimony of insurrectionists who've already pleaded guilty that they are long-time right-wingers.

    It is tragic--for America--that those readers believe a "Q" and other web sites whose identities they cannot actually know because those anonymous "people" say what they want to believe. If you trust no one in your own government and believe you are qualified to decide whether you obey US laws, you are an anarchist.

    They never had the benefit of learning how to detect fake photos and bogus sources from credible ones. They never learned analytic or critical thinking. They are driven by their fears and the driver is our worst enemy Russia, whose psychological warfare experts know how to manipulate Americans' worst fears--immigrants, people of color, overseas terrorists, having their WMDs taken away (and how many did the last two Democratic presidents take from you? Zero.).

    Hence their unpatriotic, seditionist rants about every "alphabet" agency that has kept the US a sovereign nation--so far. Their actions and words are putting us in grave danger of being conquered by our worst historic enemies, China and Russia, who are collaborating more and more.
    Vladimir Putin's whole career has been devoted to destroying the US and other major western democracies. His specialty in the KGB was "disinformation" (lying, brainwashing) to destabilize democracies. "Why would he do that?" to quote your past president in Helsinki, who was the first ever to force the top security stenographer to take notes during his meeting with a hostile foreign government.
    Easy answer, Don: Russia's economy will be devastated if Europe and America transition to solar and wind energy. He'll have no means of coercing other countries, who depend on Russian gas and oil to survive this winter and beyond, into doing his bidding. He has used your former president, as a top US general has said, as his "useful idiot" and he is still using him.

    posted by Mary Jane Curry

    Wednesday, 11/03/2021

  • Rep. Cawthorn's words on live television at the insurrection rally and his recorded words at various meetings of fellow travelers in la-la land convict him. He is not a patriot; he is an anarchist who urges people to get out their guns and refuse to obey laws they disagree with. Individuals refusing to submit to their own government's laws is exactly what anarchy is.

    posted by Mary Jane Curry

    Wednesday, 11/03/2021

  • There was nothing to "overturn." Fraud vitiates everything, and there was massive vote fraud in all 50 states. This has been shown, in spite of the courts shirking their duty.

    posted by Quartermaster

    Tuesday, 11/02/2021

  • The FBI, CIA. ATF and all the rest of those corrupt gangster alphabet agencies have been weaponized against the American people. This is Communist China, Nazi Germany, North Korea, Cuba..... take your pick. So many morons in America that believe the mainstream news media.

    posted by Lucille Josephs

    Friday, 10/29/2021

  • Seems as though Cawthorn is protesting too much! He pretty much said he knew what was going to happen when he spoke here in Franklin. The video surfaced nationally.

    posted by Bob Scott

    Friday, 10/29/2021

  • Denying something isnt the same as refuting it. Cawthorn issued a denial. He gave no evidence and made no real argument, just denied it.

    posted by Garrett

    Thursday, 10/28/2021

  • When the FBI provocateur is arrested and tried for his role in Jan 6, call me. The only people involved in an insurrection were disguised Antifa and the FBI.

    posted by Quartermaster

    Thursday, 10/28/2021

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