GOP Rep: Gowdy Plans To Retire At the End of His Term

UPDATE: 5:30 PM EDT: Roll Call reports that Fleming said, “I’ve apologized to Trey privately for having misspoken on his future plans, but wanted to make this apology public,”  adding “After speaking with him, I do believe that he will be running for re-election. I know Trey intends to fulfill his work on the Select Committee, which may extend beyond this Congress.”

END UPDATE.

On Wednesday’s broadcast of C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal,” Representative John Fleming (R-LA) stated that fellow Representative Trey Gowdy (R-SC) plans to retire at the end of his term.

Fleming said of Gowdy, “Trey wants to go back to South Carolina, and God bless him for that. Look, what a lot of people don’t realize is that it is not a glamorous lifestyle most of the time up in Washington. Many members live in their offices, because they can’t afford two households. It’s expensive living up here, and they have children and spouses back home. In my case, my spouse is with me up here, and I can afford it. I don’t have to live in [my office]. But most of my colleagues, or at least many of them, it’s a pretty Spartan lifestyle, and I admire them for what they do, and I can understand if they want to go back home.”

was then asked, “Is that what Congressman Trey Gowdy told you and others, that he plans to leave Washington soon and go back to South Carolina?”

He answered, “At the end of his term, yes. He plans to go back home, and he wants to finish his work on the Benghazi special committee, but he loves South Carolina. He loves his family, and he wants to go back, and spend the rest of his life there. … I respect that, although, and he’ll be sorely missed.”

(h/t Washington Examiner)

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett