Disgraced former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn was arrested in Florida — just days after it emerged he is plotting a return to Congress.
The 28-year-old Republican was arrested early Wednesday at his new home in Cape Coral after being a no-show in court over a citation last month for driving without a valid license, according to GulfCoastNewsNow.
His reps confirmed that he “was arrested … for failure to appear for a routine traffic infraction.”
Former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn was arrested in Lee County, Florida, on Sept. 10, 2025. Lee County Sheriff's Office“Madison keeps a very busy schedule and, due to a scheduling misunderstanding, did not appear in court this morning,” his reps said.
“Following processing Madison was immediately released.”
Cawthorn was booked and released on a $2,000 bond, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Cawthorn is preparing to launch a campaign to run for Congress in Florida’s 19th District, Axios reported last week.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn speaks before former President Donald Trump at a rally in Selma, North Carolina, on April 9, 2022. AP
A police officer speaks with Cawthorn on the side of the road after a car crash in Florida. TikTok/@Swifties4PalestineThe former representative served North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District for just one, scandal-ridden term, which included his wild accusations that lawmakers on Capitol Hill invited him to orgies and snorted cocaine in front of him.
In 2024, Cawthorn was accused of tailgating a woman and then rear-ending a Florida Highway Patrol officer in Collier County, although he did not face any serious charges from the incident.
Cawthorn has been in a wheelchair since he was partially paralyzed in a car accident at the age of 18.
