EXCLUSIVE: Kevin McCarthy says nemesis Matt Gaetz’s conduct could be WORSE than George Santos amid ongoing Ethics probe – and says he only ‘brushed shoulders’ with Tim Burchett but didn’t punch him

Two months after Matt Gaetz kicked off the historic impeachment of Kevin McCarthy, the former chairman is warning that he could soon explore his own political problems.

McCarthy has long said Gaetz took the initiative to end the lawsuit that cost him his job over a vendetta against him for failing to halt an ethics investigation into alleged sexual misconduct and misuse of funds.

Little has been revealed about the ethics investigation, which started, stopped and then started again because of a separate Justice Department investigation into Gaetz.

McCarthy declined to say whether Gaetz himself would be ousted once the Ethics Commission issues a report on its findings. “I can’t be involved in that,” he said. “What I do know, from what people have said and written about it, seems even worse than Santos.”

Long Island liar George Santos, R-N.Y., escaped unscathed with one expulsion vote as 31 Democrats and most Republicans voted against his impeachment, many saying they wanted to wait for the bipartisan Ethics Commission report to come out.

The report, released this month, found that Santos had used campaign money and donations to finance a lavish lifestyle, engaged in fraud, filed false election reports and “intentionally” breached ethics.

Once that report came out, another attempt was made to remove Santos, and even the infamous fabulist himself admitted that he probably won’t be able to keep his job.

A privileged resolution to deport him will be voted on on Thursday.

Republican Party leadership isn’t batting an eyelid, calling it a “vote of conscience,” though Chairman Mike Johnson said he has “real reservations” about ousting Santos.

“Personally, I have major reservations about that,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “I’m concerned about a precedent that could be set for that.”

“There are people who say that you must uphold the rule of law and ensure that someone is convicted by the criminal court before this severe punishment.”

Santos’ loss would bring Republicans to a three-vote majority.

Meanwhile, McCarthy issued a veiled warning to Chairman Mike Johnson not to make any deals with Gaetz to avoid a motion to vacate himself.

“A lot of what this motion to vacate is based on is that Gaetz doesn’t want this (Ethics Report) to become a reality. I hope no one has made any deals to stop that. I just don’t think that’s good for government.”

Since the spring of 2021, Gaetz has been under scrutiny by the Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, sharing inappropriate images and videos on the House floor and using campaign funds for personal reasons, among other things.

That investigation was paused while the Department of Justice (DOJ) conducted a separate investigation into Gaetz on allegations of sex trafficking and sex with a minor.

In February, the DOJ decided it didn’t have enough evidence to make a strong enough Gaetz case and closed the investigation — and the Ethics Commission resumed its work.

“Gaetz assumed he could influence me to quit,” McCarthy said. “It’s illegal to do that.”

McCarthy has long said Gaetz launched the motion to end the lawsuit that cost him his job over a vendetta against him for failing to halt an ethics investigation into alleged sexual misconduct and misuse of funds.

McCarthy also claimed he never pushed Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. Their shoulders “might touch,” he said

Federal prosecutors had been investigating allegations that Gaetz had paid women for sex and traveled abroad — and on at least one occasion had gone to parties attended by teenagers who were under 18.

Investigators believe Gaetz and disgraced Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg instructed women they met online “to meet at certain times and places, often in Florida hotels, and tell them how much money they were willing to pay.’

The DOJ investigated whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her trip with him.

Gaetz, who has been married to Ginger Luckey since 2021, says the allegations are a gross mischaracterization of his single days. And the investigation ended without any charges against him.

“I definitely, in my single days, took care of women I dated,” Gaetz told Axios. “You know, I paid for flights and for hotel rooms. I’ve been, you know, generous as a partner.”

“I am the most scrutinized man in the United States Congress,” Gaetz said during the investigation last month. “It appears that the Ethics Committee’s interest in me waxes and wanes based on my relationship with the speaker.”

In a wide-ranging conversation with DailyMail.com, McCarthy also claimed he never pushed aside Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. Their shoulders “might touch,” he said.

“It’s a narrow hallway,” McCarthy added. ‘I’m sure people also caress my shoulder as I walk. I’m just not saying it’s not true.’

Burchett, who claimed he and McCarthy were once “friends” before voting to remove him as speaker, had a very different version of the meeting.

“It was a bull’s-eye,” Burchett told reporters, adding that he could still feel pain the next day.

Burchett was one of eight Republicans who voted to impeach McCarthy, throwing the House into speakerless chaos for three weeks.

Burchett said he and McCarthy were “friends” before, but that ended when Burchett claims McCarthy mocked his faith when he told the then-speaker to pray about whether he would vote to impeach him or not.