(NewsNation) — A video of Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) appearing to threaten former staffers has gone viral. Now the congressman says his actions were in response to a threat to expose his adult daughter’s OnlyFans account.
The video shows William going after former staffer Michael Gordon, threatening to end Gordon’s relationships if he “f*** with [Williams’] family.”
Another former staffer, Ryan Sweeney, was identified as the person filming the video, which was later released online. Both Sweeney and Gordon had been let go from Williams’ staff prior to the confrontation, which took place at a holiday event in Washington, D.C.
Williams claims the video was edited and his reaction was a response to Gordon making disparaging remarks about female members of his family. Those reportedly included a reference to Williams’ daughter’s OnlyFans.
OnlyFans is a subscription platform for videos, including a variety of content but mainly known for those who make sexually explicit videos.
According to a consultant, Gordon threatened to expose Williams’ 27-year-old daughter’s account to TMZ.
Williams was one of several lawmakers who pushed for the expulsion of former Rep. George Santos (R-NY), who brought up the video during proceedings. Santos called for an ethics investigation into Williams regarding his behavior in the video.