It is not clear what the exact allegation was in the ethics complaint. The House Ethics Committee will now decide whether to investigate the matter. However, the Cawthorn/McKinley incident is not the only evidence of fraught relations within the House. One House conservative challenged Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Thursday over the chamber’s "bulls mask mandate.The brawl between McKinley and Cawthorn continued past the Republican's office on Thursday. According to four sources, the confrontation turned into a heated yelling match on Thursday's House floor, with suggestions and slights of retaliation. One observer thought that the floor altercation between the men would turn into a fight at one point. It ended on Thursday when Cawthorn took aim at McKinley in an interview.McKinley's office apologized for any miscommunications and told Cawthorn how to remove themselves from the bill. According to one source who has direct knowledge of the matter, they believed that this would be a faster solution.Cawthorn initially stated that he believed it was McKinley's problem, but he removed himself on Friday morning.Cawthorns' office stated that confusion resulted from the mistaken attachment of the lawmaker to a bill on drug pricing when he asked for cosponsors to separate legislation to expand telehealth services to treat substance abuse disorder.Cawthorn, during an office dispute, asked McKinley's employees if McKinley was "that guy with the mustache that no one f---ing knows".The word of the brouhaha spread quickly around Hill. Other House Republicans heard it so fast, and asked questions about Cawthorn's decision to send his staff instead.Later, they were given a front row seat. The duo continued fighting on Thursday night's House floor. Cawthorn approached McKinley to ask: What is your name?"According to a GOP source McKinley replied, "You know damn well who you are."McKinley made Cawthorn accuse him of attacking his staff. Cawthorn then pushed McKinley into removing his name from the bill. Cawthorn claims McKinley said that he would not agree to do this.McKinley kept referring to Cawthorn repeatedly as "junior" during the shouting match.Sources later claimed that Cawthorn asked McKinley what he thought of signing McKinley onto pro-abortion or pro-weed legislation. These comments were interpreted by some as threats to McKinley. Two sources claim that Cawthorn made the same point in McKinley's office while he was there with his staff.Cawthorn recalled that McKinley had criticized him for supporting a bipartisan investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot. He suggested that Cawthorn might use another Republican's vote against McKinley on the campaign trail."I said, Your District will remember that. Cawthorn later recalled the incident in an interview. "And then he got all angry."Cawthorn sent letters to McKinley on Friday and the staffer concerned. POLITICO reviewed one letter and found that Cawthorn stated that he doesn't want any ill will between the offices and that he hopes that they can put their differences behind them and concentrate on their true enemies.Cawthorn signed the following letter: Your ally.Rachael Bade and Sarah Ferris contributed to this report.
