Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) former girlfriend accused the congressman of offering her money to drop a wrongful termination complaint against one of his closest allies, just days before Kentucky’s Republican primary.
Massie faces a difficult May 19 primary after President Donald Trump spent months targeting the Kentucky Republican over his criticism of the president and his calls for greater transparency surrounding the Epstein files.
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Cynthia West, who dated Massie for roughly six months between late 2024 and early 2025, alleged the congressman arranged for her to work in Rep. Victoria Spartz’s (R-IN) office shortly after they began dating so she could spend more time with him in Washington, D.C.
After the couple broke up, West said she was wrongfully terminated from Spartz’s office and later offered $5,000 by Massie to drop a complaint against the Indiana Republican.
West said she was also offered a separate $60,000 settlement tied to her wrongful termination complaint against Spartz, but declined because it included a nondisclosure agreement.
She denied coordinating with Trump or Massie’s primary challenger, Ed Gallrein, and said she decided to speak publicly because she resented Massie’s calls for transparency regarding the Epstein files. West is also running for the school board in Okaloosa, Florida.
Massie’s campaign account appeared to hide replies Tuesday from users linking to West’s allegations.
His campaign later dismissed the accusations in a statement.
“These last minute dirty tricks don’t merit a response. The trashy lies they’re putting out now demonstrate how desperate they are,” the announcement said.
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West said Massie helped secure her position in Spartz’s office in late December 2024. By mid-January 2025, she said she ended the relationship after Massie became “emotionally abusive” because she refused to “engage in behavior I wasn’t comfortable with.”
She said she was later fired after raising concerns about what she described as a toxic work environment, Spartz’s hiring of a noncitizen for a district director role, and the congresswoman’s involvement in Ukraine’s elections.