Tag: Matt Gaetz

Gaetz, on the ropes, finds few friends in GOP

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In four years on Capitol Hill, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has experienced a meteoric rise to national prominence — one fueled by a close alliance with former President Trump, a penchant for political theatrics and a no-apologies brand of conservatism that’s made him a darling of the right-wing cable outlets.

Yet this week, facing a federal investigation into allegations of a sexual relationship with an underage girl, Gaetz is finding himself in an unusual spot: on the ropes and virtually alone.

Few of Gaetz’s GOP colleagues are coming to the defense of the third-term Floridian following a New York Times report that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct with — and interstate trafficking of — a minor roughly two years ago. And a number of Republicans, while warning against jumping to premature conclusions about Gaetz’s conduct, also suggested they wouldn’t miss him if he were gone. Continue reading.

Fox News throws GOP leader’s attacks on Eric Swalwell back in his face amid Matt Gaetz sex trafficking probe

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Fox News host Dana Perino on Wednesday put House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on the hot seat over revelations that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is being probed by the FBI for potential sex trafficking charges.

While appearing on Fox News, McCarthy was reminded by Perino of his past statements that Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) should be removed from the House Intelligence Committee after revelations that a suspected Chinese spy had infiltrated his office.

“So by that same logic, will you take any action to remove Matt Gaetz from the Judiciary Committee while he’s under investigation by the DOJ over whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him?” she asked. Continue reading.

Former Trump and GOP officials celebrate the fall of ‘mean’ Matt Gaetz: ‘He’s a blight on the conference’

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Former officials in President Donald Trump White House and the Republican Party were “gloating” Tuesday night when it was revealed that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was being investigated by the Justice Department for possible sex trafficking, Business Insider reported.

Gaetz, who is the “subject” of an investigation, could end up being indicted if evidence is found of a crime. It’s possible he could also be completely vindicated. But the latter didn’t matter as Republicans joined with jubilation to celebrate what they thought was Gaetz’s fall. One former senior Trump White House aide was on multiple text chains with former colleagues gossiping about the deluge of news about Gaetz’s legal predicament.

“The former Trump aides aren’t necessarily happy to see the three-term lawmaker in trouble, but they ‘feel a little vindicated,'” BI said, citing a former White House staffer. “He’s the meanest person in politics.” Continue reading.

Scoop: Matt Gaetz eyes early retirement to take job at Newsmax

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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has privately told confidants he’s seriously considering not seeking re-election and possibly leaving Congress early for a job at Newsmax, three sources with direct knowledge of the talks tell Axios.

Why it matters: Gaetz is a provocative figure on the right who’s attracted attention by being a fierce defender of former President Trump. The Republican also represents a politically potent district on the Florida panhandle.

What we’re hearing: Gaetz has told some of his allies he’s interested in becoming a media personality, and floated taking a role at Newsmax. Continue reading.

Matt Gaetz Is Said to Face Justice Dept. Inquiry Over Sex With an Underage Girl

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An inquiry into the Florida congressman was opened in the final months of the Trump administration, people briefed on it said.

Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida and a close ally of former President Donald J. Trump, is being investigated by the Justice Department over whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him, according to three people briefed on the matter.

Investigators are examining whether Mr. Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws, the people said. A variety of federal statutes make it illegal to induce someone under 18 to travel over state lines to engage in sex in exchange for money or something of value. The Justice Department regularly prosecutes such cases, and offenders often receive severe sentences.

It was not clear how Mr. Gaetz met the girl, believed to be 17 at the time of encounters about two years ago that investigators are scrutinizing, according to two of the people. Continue reading.

When Matt Gaetz Met Up With White Nationalists At CPAC

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Trumpist Republican politicians like Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz appear to be mimicking their role model’s ability to send comforting signals out to white nationalists while managing to keep them at arm’s length for the sake of plausible deniability. He showed how it’s done this past weekend at the Conservative Political Action Committee’s annual convention in Orlando.

A cluster of young white nationalists attending the simultaneous America First Political Action Committee convention—organized by notorious “Groyper Army” leader Nicholas Fuentes—invaded the CPAC gathering, where Fuentes has been banned, on Saturday. They managed to find Gaetz, who took photos with one of the group’s leaders—an outspoken neo-Nazi who uses the nom de plume “Speckzo”—and briefly conversed with them, apparently acknowledging his familiarity with Fuentes.

The video of the interaction shows one of the Groypers asking Gaetz if he was familiar with Fuentes. Gaetz made an indistinct reply while walking away with an aide, pointing a raised index finger in the direction of the young men. Continue reading.

‘No ethics’ Matt Gaetz criticized for having ‘no moral high ground’

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U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, decided to weigh in on Ted Cruz abandoning his constituents for a trip to sunny Cancun while some of them literally froze to death. Gaetz came out by defending Cruz, saying no apology was necessary.

More specifically, Gaetz gaslighted the general public, by saying, “Ted Cruz should not have apologized.”

The Senator from Texas who used his two little girls as a shield for his bad behavior did not apologize. Continue reading.

Ethics panel rebukes Gaetz for tweet targeting Cohen

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The House Ethics Committee is formally admonishing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for a tweet that attempted to intimidate President Trump‘s former lawyer Michael Cohen ahead of his testimony to Congress last year.

In a report released on Friday, the Ethics Committee delivered a rare formal rebuke against Gaetz for his tweet, which it said “did not reflect creditably upon the House of Representatives” and “did not meet the standards by which Members of the House should govern themselves.”

But the panel concluded that Gaetz, a close Trump ally, did not violate witness tampering and obstruction of Congress laws. Continue reading.

Matt Gaetz puts on his own makeup, and other lessons from ‘The Swamp’

When we first meet Matt Gaetz, he is waking up in the “work closet” of his House office, where he stays while in Washington, to prepare for a long day of cable news appearances. But first, makeup.

The 38-year-old, two-term Florida congressman wants to look fresh for the millions of viewers watching at home and the users online who share, like and retweet the viral videos distributed by his communications staff. So that means dabbing a little product on his face.

He selects his shoes, a pair of black and white wingtips, that are “Ivanka’s favorite,” according to Gaetz, referring to the president’s daughter and adviser. He keeps a chart to carefully track his weight. After all, television is a visual medium, and Gaetz is on TV a lot. Continue reading.

Matt Gaetz appears to run afoul of House ethics rules

The Florida Republican spent thousands of dollars on a speechwriting consultant.

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz has privately engaged in several spending practices in his nearly four years in office that appear to be in conflict with the House’s ethics rules, a POLITICO investigation has found.

Gaetz, a close ally of President Donald Trump from the Florida Panhandle, improperly sent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to a limited liability company linked to a speech-writing consultant who was ousted from the Trump administration, in direct conflict with House rules.

In another possible violation, a private company installed a television studio in his father’s home in Niceville, Fla., which Gaetz uses when he appears on television. Taxpayers foot the bill to rent the television camera, and the private company that built the studio — which Gaetz refuses to identify — takes a fee each time he appears on air, his office said. It’s unclear how much it cost the private company to construct the studio. Continue reading.