Kevin McCarthy, former representative of the House of Representatives, says that he was removed as speaker by a member who “wanted to stop an ethical complaint because he had slept with a teenager.”
McCarthy was removed from the chamber after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for allegations of sexual misconduct, filed a motion to vacate his seat in October 2023.
“I’ll tell you the truth about why I am not the speaker. McCarthy, who spoke at Georgetown University on Tuesday, said that a member in Congress wanted me to stop a complaint about an ethics violation because the man had slept with a teenager.
McCarthy, who said he wasn’t sure if the person was guilty of sexual harassment, insisted that the legislator he referred to wanted him to “influence” the inquiry during his tenure as House speaker.
“An ethical complaint that began before I became a speaker. This is illegal. “I’m not going into the middle,” said the former California legislator. “Did it happen or not?” I don’t. Ethics is looking at it. There are other people in prison because of it. He wanted me to influence the situation.”
McCarthy didn’t mention Gaetz by name, but Gaetz is the congressman who brought the motion to remove the former Speaker.
Kevin is a liar. Gaetz stated in a press release that this is the reason he’s not Speaker. Ask any one of the 224 voters who voted against him.
Gaetz, who has represented Florida’s 1st Congressional District in Congress since 2017, is under investigation over an alleged sexual relationship he had with a girl aged 17 whom he paid to travel with. The Justice Department halted its investigation into allegations of sex trafficking recently, but the House Committee continues to weigh the allegations.
McCarthy made similar remarks about Gaetz in November, claiming that the congressman “belongs behind bars.”
McCarthy said to Politico that the Florida Republicans in the House were a “cross-section”. “You have Gaetz who should be in jail and you have serious Members.”
Gaetz reacted to McCarthy’s comments, saying that “the only attack I committed was on Kevin’s fragile self-esteem.”
Gaetz is the subject of several allegations that have been made in the past about his behavior towards women. CNN reported that Gaetz had previously boasted about his sexual experiences with his congressional colleagues and showed them nude pictures of women he slept with.
Joel Greenberg is a former Gaetz associate who has been sentenced to prison after pleading to charges in a sex-trafficking investigation. Gaetz has consistently denied all allegations, including any accusations of wrongdoing. A spokesman said Gaetz had “never paid for sex or had sex” with a child.
