LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB) — U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie is denying allegations made by his former girlfriend, who accused him of offering her "hush money" related to a wrongful termination complaint involving Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz.
According to reporting from FOX59, Cynthia West, a former congressional aide and Massie’s former girlfriend, made the claims during an online interview.
West alleged she briefly worked for Spartz before being fired and claimed Massie later offered her $5,000 in exchange for staying silent about a potential wrongful termination complaint against Spartz.
West did not publicly provide evidence supporting the alleged offer.
Massie responded Wednesday on social media, calling the allegations "false and unsubstantiated."
"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.
Massie also denied any inappropriate conduct or offering money in exchange for silence.
"All of the claims of inappropriate conduct are false. I’ve never offered anyone money in exchange for their silence," he said. "There are no ethics claims filed against me, nor have there ever been any claims filed against me in my 14 years in office."
Spartz also defended Massie and disputed West’s claims in a statement to her social media. She confirmed West previously worked in her office but said her temporary employment "was not extended beyond 90 days due to concerning conduct."
According to Spartz, West later brought allegations against the office, which Spartz denied during a pre-filing process. Spartz said she later reconsidered settlement discussions "to save taxpayer money and mitigate disruptions to the operation of the office," but denied attempting to force West into a non-disclosure agreement.
The allegations come just days before the Kentucky primary, where Massie is seeking re-election in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. He is running against Trump-endorsed candidate Ed Gallrein for the GOP nomination.
Kentucky's primary election is May 19.
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