Rep. Madison Cawthorn, RN.C., has been charged for the second time in the past five years with driving with a revoked license, a felony that carries up to 20 days in prison.
The 26-year-old Republican from Henderson County was arrested March 3 in Cleveland County, about an hour and a half southeast of Asheville, by highway patrol, according to court records and a highway patrol spokesman.
In addition to the felony, Cawthorn faces two pending speeding charges: driving 89 mph in a 65 mph zone in Buncombe County on Oct. 18 and 87 mph in a 70 mph zone in Polk County on Jan. 8.
Highway Patrol Officer Sgt. Marcus Bethea said on March 9 he could “confirm that the three citations” are pending cases in Buncombe, Polk and Cleveland counties.
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The (Asheville, North Carolina) Citizen Times has contacted Cawthorn spokesman Luke Ball.
The court date for the crime is May 6. The speeding charge in Polk County will be heard on April 18 and the Buncombe charge on May 3.
Cawthorn was previously charged with driving after his driver’s license was taken. Before being sworn in to the U.S. House last year, a charge for driving with a revoked license was dismissed in Buncombe in 2017, court records show.
Driving with a revoked license is considered a Class 3 offense in North Carolina and carries a maximum penalty of 20 days in prison, although the penalty is usually a fine or probation.
Cawthorn uses a wheelchair after being seriously injured in a 2014 car accident in Florida. A friend who was driving fell asleep while Cawthorn slept in the passenger seat, according to his 2019 federal court suit against the insurance company.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: U.S. Representative Madison Cawthorn charged with driving with revoked driver’s license
