Answer Man: new info, police video of ex-Western NC congressman Cawthorn's Florida crash

In this Answer Man column, we look into the aftermath of the April 15 accident involving former Congressman Madison Cawthorn and a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, with some new video.

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Question: I saw a brief notation in the news that our former congressman Madison Cawthorn who now lives in Florida, rear-ended a Florida law enforcement vehicle parked on the side of the road. The bad news of course is that he was involved in an accident. The good news was that he didn't have to call law enforcement to investigate, they were already on site. I haven't heard any more about what's happening based on that event. Have there been charges filed against him? From previous information in the paper, I know he purchased a rather expensive home on the Gulf of Mexico in southern Florida. Is he employed at this time and if so, what is he doing?

Answer: We did actually write about this with some detail shortly after Cawthorn was said to have struck the trooper's vehicle. But there are a few updates.

First, the background: Cawthorn, 28, survived a terrible April 3, 2014, accident in Florida in which his friend was driving, and after which time he has used a wheelchair. As a driver himself, his record has been bad. Before and during his one term in office he got two misdemeanor charges of driving while license revoked (which were dismissed) and speeding 89 mph in a 65-mph zone and 87 mph in a 70-mph zone (lowered to lesser violations).

Following a scandal-ridden two years in Congress − that included a $15,000 fine from the House Ethics Committee and outcry over his claim of cocaine use and an orgy invite in Washington − the Henderson County native bought a $1.1 million house in Cape Coral Florida.

He was living there when his 2021 Mercedes struck the trooper's Dodge Charger on Interstate 75, sending the trooper briefly to the hospital with minor injuries. A person posting on X (formerly Twitter) said the Mercedes was moving "erratically & aggressively" behind the accident. Cawthorn was cited for failing to move over for an emergency vehicle.

New information: I reached out to a number I had for Cawthorn but haven't heard back. As for employment, I couldn't find any information. The social media sites on which he's active don't talk about work.

For updates on the accident I reached out to highway patrol spokesperson Lt. Jim Beauford. In an email I asked if the trooper had returned to work, to which Beauford did not respond. He did say on May 8 that no other charges had been filed.

I also got an answer to a public records request for dashcam footage. The five videos the highway patrol sent don't give clear views of the accident. But they show the force with which the trooper's car was struck. (I've included one of those videos here.) The vehicle appeared to be sitting in the left-hand lane of I-75 where a lighted arrow sign and cones were closing off that lane and directing traffic in the single right-hand lane.

I've also put in a request for a crash report.

The citation is relatively minor and he can pay it off for $133 − though he had not as of May 8, according to staff with the Collier County Clerk of Court's Office. If he wants to avoid the points on his Florida drivers license, he could pay $140 and attend driving school or he has a right to a live video hearing. If Cawthorn doesn't pay or take care of the ticket in another way by May 20, he could lose his license, again.

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Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: New Info, police video of ex-Western NC Rep. Cawthorn's Florida crash