Gaetz Fesses Up to Some Allegations in Ethics Probe

When then-Rep. Matthew Gaetz (R-FL) led the movement to have House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) removed from his position, he poked a bear he would soon regret.

McCarthy predicted at the time that Gaetz wanted him removed to try to stop an Ethics Committee report that would ruin his career, and it turns out, he was right.

Attorney General Nomination

After Donald Trump won the election, one of the first appointments he announced was Matthew Gaetz for Attorney General.

The appointment even stunned Trump insiders, who could not believe Trump would hand the Department of Justice over to Gaetz.

Gaetz then made the bizarre move of resigning his congressional seat. There was no need for this until he was confirmed.

However, it started to become rather clear why Gaetz resigned soon after the nomination.

Out as Attorney General

We soon learned that the Ethics Committee was about to vote to release the report on Gaetz, but since he was no longer a member of the House, the report, for all intents and purposes, was moot.

That narrative soon changed, however, as Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would be tasked with vetting Gaetz, made requests to see the report.

When it seemed imminent that, at the very least, the report would be turned over to the Senate, Gaetz withdrew as the nominee for the Attorney General spot.

Gaetz, at the time, stated, "There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I'll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General.”

It’s Being Released

All that was for nothing, however, as this week, the House voted to release the report on Gaetz, which sent Gaetz scrambling to cover himself.

Gaetz, 42, admitted to some of the behavior that is going to be in the report, but he remains adamant that he never had sex with underage girls, as was initially reported.

He stated, “My 30’s were an era of working very hard – and playing hard too. It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life.”

I believe releasing the report is dirty pool since Gaetz is no longer a public servant. Had he stuck in the AG race or been given another role in the Trump administration, by all means, release the report. But the House releasing this now is just revenge, in my opinion, by Gaetz’s enemies in the House, and there are quite a few of them.