U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie defended himself on social media after an alleged former girlfriend publicly accused the congressman of offering her hush money and of being “emotionally abusive” during their relationship.
In a video interview now widely circulating online, Cynthia West, a former congressional aide now running for school board in Florida, says that Massie offered her $5,000 to “walk away” from a formal complaint she filed against Indiana GOP U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz.
Massie has called the allegations “false and unsubstantiated” and said they are an attempt to sway his Tuesday primary against Trump-backed challenged Ed Gallrein. The candidates and PACs supporting them have spent millions on one of the most high-profile congressional elections in the country.
“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 wrote in the post. “There are no ethics claims filed against me, nor have there ever been any claims filed against me in my 14 years in office. I have consulted legal counsel and we are considering all options.”
Interviewed by northern Kentucky attorney Marcus Carey, West said Massie started a relationship with her in 2024, after his wife died. She says that Massie got her a job in Spartz’s office.
West said she broke up with Massie “shortly after” she started working for the congresswoman, saying “he wanted me to engage in behavior that I just – I wasn’t comfortable.” Neither her spokesperson nor Carey were able to provide any additional information when reached for comment.
According to Spartz’s office, 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.”
West said she then filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. Kentucky Public Radio has not been able to verify or determine the contents of that complaint. However, KPR reviewed a copy of a proposed $60,000 settlement agreement that would have ended the wrongful termination complaint provided by West's spokesperson. It included a nondisclosure agreement that West declined to sign. It did not, however, include any information about the allegations themselves.
In the video, West said she called Massie to inform him that she named him a witness in the complaint, which is when she alleges he offered her money to “just walk away” from the complaint. She says she did not take it.
State Rep. Steven Doan, an attorney from Erlanger and Massie ally, has defended him and said the allegations are not believable. He pointed to previous accusations she made against her children’s father in Florida court, alleging abuse, that were dismissed.
