Rep. Thomas Massie faced a startling accusation this week when a former girlfriend alleged he offered her $5,000 in cash to abandon a wrongful termination complaint against fellow Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz. The claim emerged just days before Massie's May 19 primary, where he is fighting off a historically expensive challenge backed by former President Trump.
Cynthia West, who worked briefly in Spartz's Indiana office, said Massie made the offer when she called to inform him she was filing a complaint against his ally. West said the money represented half of $10,000 Massie had given her in cash when their relationship began, funds she later returned to him at a Kentucky Cracker Barrel.
According to West, Massie told her at that meeting: "You're just one person. You're not going to make a difference. Just walk away."
The timing of West's disclosure raised questions about political motivation. She emphasized she had no contact with Trump's campaign or Massie's primary opponent Ed Gallrein. West worked in Spartz's office for roughly six weeks after Massie, her boyfriend at the time, arranged the position to allow them both to be in Washington simultaneously.
The relationship deteriorated quickly. West said she broke up with Massie in mid-January after he became "emotionally abusive" when she refused to participate in activities she was uncomfortable with. Shortly after, Spartz terminated her employment. West contended she was let go for complaining about the office's toxic environment and other workplace concerns.
In March, West received a $60,000 settlement offer for her wrongful termination claim, but it came with a nondisclosure agreement she refused to sign.
The irony that bothered West most centered on Massie's public advocacy. He has been pushing hard for the release of the Epstein Files, emphasizing transparency and victims' rights in congressional postings. West seized on one of his social media appeals about needing "just one more" House member to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act. On X in September, she replied: "I thought one person couldn't make a difference and that victims should just walk away or was that just me? It really bothered me watching him with the Epstein Files because he's sitting there talking about transparency and victims' rights and having women be heard and he literally tried to silence me."
Massie declined to address the accusations directly when reached. His campaign referred questions to Kentucky state Rep. Steven Doan, a family law attorney, who questioned West's credibility by citing issues from her prior divorce. The campaign later released a statement dismissing the allegation as "trashy lies" and "last minute dirty tricks."
Spartz's office confirmed West held a temporary 90-day probationary position and said her employment ended due to "unsatisfactory job performance." The office declined to comment on the details of her pending complaint.
West acknowledged that shortcomings in her divorce case resulted from her decision to represent herself rather than hire an attorney. She is currently running for school board in Okaloosa County, Florida, where she has campaigned against bullying and toxic workplace cultures. "What kind of person would I be if I did this [by taking the settlement with an NDA] when I have the ability to teach the culture," she said.
The account emerged in an interview conducted by conservative Kentucky trial lawyer Marcus Carey, who ran against Massie in a GOP primary in 2012.
Author James Rodriguez: "The contrast between Massie's public crusade for transparency and West's account of being pressured to stay silent is the real story here, and it landed at exactly the moment designed to wound him most."
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