Madison Cawthorn, a private citizen and disgraced former North Carolina congressman, was sworn in as an honorary sheriff’s deputy in southwest Florida last week, a title that appears to have been conferred despite his shaky law enforcement background.
The 28-year-old, who received a penalty in April for rear-ending a Florida Highway Patrol unit, posted a series of photos on Instagram on Thursday, showcasing his honorary badge.
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The caption read, “[Lee County Sheriff] Carmine Marceno’s sworn in as an honorary deputy in the county that I live in is such an honor.”
The former congressman boasted that the Lee County Sheriff’s Office “puts the fear of God into those who wish ill on our community,” and added, “Excited to serve!”
Honorary badges do not confer arrest authority or obligate the holder to fulfill official responsibilities. It was unclear what capacity Cawthorn wanted to serve in. A representative from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Monday.
“There is a reason crime is so low in [southwest Florida],” Cawthorn said in his effusive caption, “it’s because our law enforcement is allowed to do their job and they execute flawlessly.”
Cawthorn bought a home in Cape Coral, Florida, in August 2022, according to the Asheville Citizen Times. The transaction came three months after the freshman congressman failed to win re-election in North Carolina’s Republican primary.
In addition to receiving traffic penalties for speeding and driving with a revoked license while in office, Cawthorn also tailgated the trooper, resulting in his hospitalization with minor injuries. Last May, after pleading guilty to bringing a loaded weapon to an airport, he received a $250 fine.
