Massie Hit With Hush Money Allegation as Primary Against Trump-Backed Challenger Enters Final Stretch

Representative Thomas Massie, fighting off a Trump-endorsed challenger in the final stretch of a contentious House primary, faces a fresh setback as a former girlfriend alleges he offered her a hush money bribe. A former congressional aide, Cynthia West, alleged in a video interview this week that Mr. Massie offered her $5,000 to drop a wrongful termination complaint she had filed against his political ally, Representative Victoria Spartz, last year. Ms. West, who began working for Ms. Spartz in January 2025, says Mr. Massie — by then her romantic partner — helped her secure the job. She says she was laid off six weeks later, when she and Mr. Massie ended their relationship.Ms. West says she filed a complaint against Ms. Spartz for retaliatory discharge and was offered a $60,000 settlement from the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights. She claims Mr. Massie was “very angry” that she named him in the complaint and offered her $5,000 to “just walk away.” She says she declined both Mr. Massie’s offer and the settlement, which would have required her to sign a nondisclosure agreement.In the video, Ms. West also discussed her romance with Mr. Massie, describing a “very romantic, intense relationship” that began after he reached out to her on X in August 2024 — less than two months after the death of his wife. She claims she broke off the relationship when he asked her to “engage in behavior” that she “wasn’t comfortable with.” The proposed settlement was confirmed by Axios. A spokesman for Ms. Spartz said Ms. 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,” adding that the office “cannot comment on the details of Ms. West’s pending allegations.” Ms. Spartz was named one of the “worst bosses” on Capitol Hill in 2022 by the nonpartisan tracker Legistorm.Mr. Massie denied the allegations Wednesday, writing on X that “I’ve never offered anyone money in exchange for their silence.” He called the accusations “false and unsubstantiated,” and said their emergence a week before the election was “an obvious attempt to influence the outcome.”The allegations come as Mr. Massie is running neck and neck with challenger Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL who is backed by President Trump. Mr. Massie and the president have clashed since Mr. Trump’s first term but tensions sharpened earlier this year when Mr. Massie opposed Republican leadership on the One Big Beautiful Bill and publicly criticized America’s war in Iran. Ms. West has denied coordinating with Mr. Gallrein’s campaign or the Trump administration. She told Axios that she came forward because “she resented Massie for speaking about the need for transparency when it came to releasing the Epstein files” while allegedly trying to suppress her own attempt to report wrongdoing.The race has become the most expensive House primary in history, with pro-Trump and pro-Israel super PACs pouring millions into ads backing Mr. Gallrein. Mr. Massie, a strong fundraiser in his own right, has also been supported by millions in spending. Combined, the race has seen $25.6 million in ad spending.Voters go to the polls on May 19. The race remains close, though a new poll from Quantus Insights shows Mr. Gallrein leading Mr. Massie by five percentage points.

Massie Hit With Hush Money Allegation as Primary Against Trump-Backed Challenger Enters Final Stretch

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