Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed an ethics complaint against former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) after McCarthy allegedly elbowed Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN).
“It has come to my attention that this morning, November 14, 2023, following a meeting of the House Republican Conference, Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) assaulted Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN) in the hallways of Capitol complex. This assault was witnessed by multiple people, including Claudia [Grisales] of NPR, who was interviewing Rep. Burchett at the time,” Gaetz wrote.
Gaetz described Burchett as saying the attack was a “sucker punch” and “a clean shot to the kidney.”
🚨 BREAKING: I have filed a formal Ethics complaint against former @SpeakerMcCarthy for assaulting @RepTimBurchett. pic.twitter.com/I3WebPFLhS
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) November 14, 2023
In an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju, Burchett said, “Well, I was doing an interview with Claudia from NPR….and I got elbowed in the back and it kind of caught me off-guard because it was a clean shot to the kidneys and I turned back and there was Kevin…and I chased after him of course,” Burchett said.
He added that McCarthy is a “bully with a $17 million security detail.”
Rep. Tim Burchett claims on CNN that Kevin McCarthy hit him from behind with "a clean shot to the kidneys" and calls him "a bully" pic.twitter.com/CCLQvNuWHw
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 14, 2023
McCarthy denied the alleged attack.
“I guess our shoulders hit. I did not run and hit the guy. I did not kidney punch him,” McCarthy said to Raju.
“Reporters who witnessed this said you had plenty of room to walk and that you intentionally hit him,” the CNN reporter stated.
McCarthy exclaimed, “Show me a reporter who saw that!”
News — Kevin McCarthy denies sucker punching Tim Burchett in kidneys. Says it was a crowded hallway and accidentally bumped into him. Said Burchett would know if it were intentional. Dismisses Burchett saying he was still in pain after the incident pic.twitter.com/3WkrU6lnkr
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 14, 2023
