High-powered lawyer argued Madison Cawthorn not insurrectionist, now suing for big legal bill
A high-powered conservative lawyer who defended Rep.Madison Cawthorn against allegations of insurrection is now suing him for a large unpaid legal bill.
Cawthorn, a Western North Carolina Republican leaving Congress in January after one term, is being sued by his former attorney, James Bopp Jr., for more than $190,000, according to filings this month in U.S.District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
“On or about January 10, 2022, (the Bopp Law Firm) began representing Mr.Cawthorn in response to a challenge to Mr.
Cawthorn’s qualifications as a candidate for the U.S.House of Representatives,” the Dec.7 amended complaint from Bopp said.They entered into an official agreement Jan.
20 covering the initial challenge, any appeals and other aspects of what could be a drawn-out legal fight, the suit says.
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“To date, Mr.Cawthorn has an outstanding, unpaid balance of $193,296.85, apart from any interest that is due and apart from any fees due for work on collecting overdue amounts, as provided under the terms of the agreement,” Bopp said.
The Citizen Times has reached out to Cawthorn’s staff for comment.The congressman is listed in the suit as representing himself.He is expected to file an answer or have a judgment made against him in default.
Bopp, of Indiana, has argued cases before the U.S.Supreme Court on ballot initiatives, campaign donation and spending limits as well as elected state judges’ political speech.
In 2020, he brought suits in four states challenging Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over Donald Trump, though he withdrew them without explanation.
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Following the Jan.6 Capitol attack, Cawthorn and several other members of Congress who backed Trump’s bid to stop the transition of power to Biden faced legal actions against their candidacies.
Plaintiffs, including former Republican N.C.Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr of Yancey County, said they had violated the 14th Amendment’s “insurrection” clause that forbade former elected officials from taking office again if they had “engaged in insurrection or rebellion.”
A U.S.District Court Judge in March ruled in Cawthorn’s favor stopping the state Board of Elections from examining whether he should be on the 2020 ballot.The group of voters appealed to the 4th U.S.Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, which agreed with the plaintiffs and sent the case back to the district court.
But Cawthorn lost the May 17 primary for the 11th District to Chuck Edwards.
Upon a motion from the defense, the court dropped the case as moot.
In a similar case, Bopp represented Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who successfully blocked voters’ challenge of her candidacy.Greene appeared on the ballot, winning reelection to her northwestern district handily.
Cawthorn’s term was marked by gaffe’s and scandals, including his labeling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “thug” and claiming Republican officials engaged in cocaine use and orgies.
Once out of office he will continue to face legal issues: Polk County speeding ticket in which a N.C.Highway Patrol trooper said he was driving 87mph in a 70-mph zone and a misdemeanor charge for bringing a loaded gun through Charlotte Douglas International Airport security, something to which he admitted.
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He was recently fined $15,000 by the House Ethics Committee for improperly promoting a crypto currency he owned.Some had said there was evidence of serious violations of using non-public information when buying the crypto coin and manipulating the market, both potential crimes.It was not immediately clear if any actions had been taken by the federal Securities and Exchange Commission or the Justice Department, the organizations responsible for investigating such violations.
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 [email protected], 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter.Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times..
