Republicans Eating Their Own
Cawthorn claims he never heard from Edwards about data; Edwards responds with screenshots
by Samiar Nefzi & Brittany WhiteheadFriday, January 13th 2023
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Former NC District 11 congressman Madison Cawthorn responded to newly sworn-in NC-11 Rep. Chuck Edwards' claim that Cawthorn's office did not transfer official constituent casework by the deadline of Dec. 23, 2022.
Cawthorn claims he never heard from Edwards about data; Edwards responds with screenshots
On Monday, Jan. 9, Edwards' office released a statement that not only said he and his staff had no way of knowing which constituents had ongoing casework or other outstanding federal issues, but also asked constituents to contact Rep. Edwards' office if they have outstanding or unfinished casework.
On Friday, Jan. 13, a spokesperson for Cawthorn sent News 13 a statement responding to Edwards' claims.
News 13 then reached out to Edwards to get his reaction to the former congressman's Friday statement.
In the statement, Cawthorn's spokesperson said:
"Rep. Cawthorn's senior staff gave full cooperation to incoming Rep. Edwards and his office. Congressman Cawthorn's team did not receive any message or request indicating that Congressman Edwards did not possess everything he needed to take on relevant casework.
In keeping with past representatives, Rep. Cawthorn no longer utilizes the same cell phone number that he utilized during his time as a member. Rep. Edwards was aware of this. It appears that Rep. Edwards found that he was unable to fulfill his commitment to addressing casework, and sadly failed to utilize multiple avenues to bring his inability to proceed to the attention of Rep. Cawthorn's staff.
It is disappointing that Rep. Edwards did not simply email, call, or text, members of Rep. Cawthorn's senior staff in order to address his inability to handle relevant casework. Parting shots, directed at hardworking staff, do little to help the constituents of NC-11. Rep. Edwards would do well to put aside his personal grudges and apply himself towards defending his constituents from the impacts of far-left and establishment policies.
If Rep. Edwards requires tutoring on his role as a member of Congress, Rep. Cawthorn invites him to set up a meeting with his scheduler."
House rules state that the outgoing member must execute the transfer process to the incoming representative.
Later on Friday, Edwards provided News 13 with a follow-up response to Cawthorn's denial that Edwards' team reached out to Cawthorn's staff for access to the database and needed signatures.
Edwards' statement is below:
"The record shows repeated attempts were made to get Mr. Cawthorn to provide authorization, an action that only the outgoing member can authorize. Sadly, Mr. Cawthorn continues to be more responsive to the news media with misinformation than helping to meet needs of the good people of western North Carolina.
After my staff’s failed attempts to get the form signed working through U.S. Committee on House Administration, I personally called Mr. Cawtorn’s DC and District Offices. Those attempts failed because, as we know, those extensions were not being monitored, but I wanted to make my own attempts nonetheless. Below are three text messages I then sent Mr. Cawthorn. Each of these was immediately preceded by my calls to his cell phone, the same cell phone he used to text me on Nov. 8 and then to call me a couple of weeks later when we discussed the only thing I would need from him was the release of his files. On each attempt to call his cell, his mailbox was full, so I immediately followed up with a text. Also, since no email for Mr. Cawthorn was listed on his official website, between the second and third text messages, I completed and submitted his online request for help form. I received no response from that either.
Rather than to continue with this unproductive media campaign, why doesn’t Mr. Cawthorn now simply perform his duty and sign the form?"
A collage of two screen shots provided by NC-11 Rep. Chuck Edwards. Edwards claims he reached out to former Rep. Madison Cawthorn to transfer constituent casefile data, but never heard back from him. (Photo courtesy: Rep. Chuck Edwards)
News 13 also spoke with a senior House Republican aide on Friday who confirmed Cawthorn’s office did not transfer records to Congressman Edwards' office.
“Departing Members of Congress are allowed and encouraged to transfer their data, especially casework records, to incoming Members to help ensure a smooth transition,” said the senior aide. “While it is ultimately each Member’s decision, choosing not to because of politics is only hurting those constituents and disrupts constituent services. For example, if a veteran needs help receiving their VA benefits and has open casework with the departing Member of Congress, they would have to start all over again with the incoming Member of Congress.”
Last month, Chief Administrative Officer for the U.S. House of Representatives Catherine Szpindor raised concerns about the negative impact of departing congressional members not transferring records and the impact it has on constituents.
https://wlos.com/news/local/madison-cawthorn-denies-claims-rep-chuck-edwards-contacted-database-transfer-constituent-casework-screenshots-texts-unanswered-calls-proof
