According to a report from Asheville-based newspaper Citizen-Times, Cawthorn’s office had been “cleaned out” as of Wednesday, and his name plaque was no longer posted outside the door.
Capitol Hill correspondent for the News&Observer, Danielle Battaglia, tweeted a photo on Monday of the furniture moved out of Cawthorn’s office.
Cawthorn’s district office in Hendersonville was also dark and locked shut, the Citizen-Times reported, adding that “rooms were empty of furniture and cleaning products could be seen on a counter.” A voicemail message from Cawthorn’s office said that the representative was “no longer accepting new requests for assistance ‘due to our office beginning to close for term.’”
Edwards, a fellow Republican, defeated Cawthorn in the GOP primary election in May, thwarting the incumbent’s chances for a second term. The next congressional assembly, when Edwards will take office as the district’s representative, does not begin until January 3.
Cawthorn was also reportedly absent from the House of Representatives floor Wednesday afternoon when the chamber voted on whether to ban judicial enforcement of nondisclosure agreements in cases of sexual assault and harassment, reported the News&Observer. The congressman instead submitted a letter to the House clerk and said that Florida Representative Matt Gaetz had agreed to serve has Cawthorn’s proxy.
According to the News&Observer, Wednesday marked the 12th time Cawthorn had sent a letter to the House clerk since losing the spring primaries.
On Tuesday, Cawthorn attended former President Donald Trump’s candidacy announcement in Palm Beach, Florida, reported Business Insider. Cawthorn has also reportedly bought a $1.1 million home in southwest Florida in August, according to the Citizen-Times, although voting and property records show he is still registered to vote in North Carolina.
Trump endorsed Cawthorn ahead of the spring primaries and urged voters to give the congressman a “second chance” following what the former president called “foolish mistakes.” During the months leading up to the primary vote, Cawthorn had been caught for the second time with a gun at airport security, had been accused of speeding and driving with a revoked license, and faced illegal insider-trading allegations involving the cryptocurrency “Let’s Go Brandon.”
In a video posted to Cawthorn’s Instagram on Wednesday, the congressman said that he had flown down to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate from Washington, D.C., Tuesday to hear the former president’s speech and gave his official endorsement for Trump’s reelection.
“I will follow this man ’til the day I die, barring some terrible information,” Cawthorn said. “This man has bled for us, this man has fought for us, this man has put his entire career, put his entire life, put his entire persona … he’s put it all on the line for every single one of us.”
Newsweek has reached out to Edwards’ campaign team for comment.
