McCarthy rebukes Cawthorn over his claims that lawmakers have invited him to orgies and use drugs

Washington — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday admonished Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina over claims he had watched members of Congress use drugs and was invited to an "orgy."

McCarthy told reporters on Capitol Hill that he told Cawthorn during a private meeting that the first-term congressman "lost my trust," and the allegations Cawthorn had made during a podcast interview last week were "exaggerated," according to Axios.

"It's just frustration. There's no evidence behind his statements," McCarthy said, according to reports, adding, "I told him you can't make statements like that, as a member of Congress, that affects everybody else and the country as a whole."