Massie consults lawyer after hush money allegations ahead of Kentucky primary
Kentucky Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie speaks to reporters after appearing on KET. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)
U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie is taking to social media after a former girlfriend publicly accused the congressman of offering her hush money to drop a complaint against a Massie ally.
A video interview with the woman, Cynthia West, conducted by Northern Kentucky attorney Marcus Carey was widely circulated Tuesday on X, formerly known as Twitter. In it, she says Massie offered her $5,000 to not file a formal complaint against Indiana Republican U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz.
“It’s sad that a week before this election people are making false and unsubstantiated allegations about me in an obvious attempt to influence the outcome of this election,” Massie said on X Wednesday morning. He did not directly name West in his post.
The congressman is facing a heated primary against Shelby County Republican Ed Gallrein, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump in October. Trump has vowed to oust Massie from office after opposing GOP legislation like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and urging the release of the federal investigation files into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein. Election Day is Tuesday, May 19, and early voting starts Thursday.
“All of the claims of inappropriate conduct are false. I’ve never offered anyone money in exchange for their silence. I report all of my farm income, including cash, to the IRS,” Massie continued. “There are no ethics claims filed against me, nor have there ever been any claims filed against me in my 14 years in office.”
He added that he has “consulted legal counsel and we are considering all options.”
In her interview with Carey, West said Massie got her a job as a staffer for Spartz and she called him as a courtesy when she began the process to file a complaint against Spartz. Carey once ran against Massie in the 2012 Republican primary for the U.S. House in the 4th Congressional District.
Axios reported Wednesday morning it reviewed a proposed agreement that offered West a $60,000 settlement in a wrongful termination complaint against Spartz, but it included a nondisclosure agreement that West refused to sign.
A spokesperson for Spartz told Axios West “held a temporary 90-day probationary position with our office, and her employment was not extended beyond that period due to unsatisfactory job performance.”
Steve Doan, an attorney and a state Republican lawmaker from Erlanger who is an ally of Massie’s, said on X that West “has a documented history of making false abuse allegations” and pointed to accusations of emotional and physical abuse against her children’s father that were dismissed in a Florida court.