Gaetz, McCarthy trade barbs over House leadership, ethics complaints: 'Lying like a dead dog'

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz appear to be escalating a feud ahead of a likely funding battle in the lower chamber, with Gaetz threatening to challenge the California lawmaker's leadership and McCarthy opining that the Florida Republican is merely upset over an ongoing ethics investigation.

Gaetz on Tuesday demanded "total compliance" from McCarthy with a deal he made with House conservatives to win their support for his leadership of the lower chamber.

"I rise today to serve notice. Mr. Speaker, you are out of compliance with the agreement that allowed you to assume this role," Gaetz said. "The path forward for the House of Representatives is to either bring you into immediate total compliance or remove you, pursuant to a motion to vacate the chair."

McCarthy on Wednesday wrote off Gaetz's warnings, pointing to the ethics complaint and accusing him of working with California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell.

"Matt is working with Eric Swalwell... Matt is upset about an ethics complaint. I don't care what they threaten against me. I'm not gonna interject into an independent committee like ethics, and I'm not going to put Swalwell back on the intel committee," he told CNN.

McCarthy denied Swalwell a seat on the Intelligence Committee earlier this year, due in part to his alleged ties to a suspected Chinese spy. Gaetz, meanwhile, faces an ethics investigation into claims of drug use and sexual misconduct, The Hill noted.

"I am the most investigated man in the entire Congress, and right there you saw Kevin McCarthy lying like a dead dog because I have never asked him to interfere in any ethics matter," Gaetz retorted during an MSNBC appearance the same day.

Swalwell, for his part, has denied working with the Florida Republican.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.