1mo ago

Matt Gaetz ethics report released to more members of Congress

www.newsweek.com Matt Gaetz ethics report released to more members of Congress

Donald Trump has chosen Gaetz for his attorney general, but a House ethics panel's probe looms over the nomination.

Summary

The House Ethics Committee has expanded access to its report on Matt Gaetz, recently nominated for attorney general by Trump.

The report details allegations of sexual abuse and drug use, including claims Gaetz paid women for sex and had relations with a minor, which he denies.

While House Speaker Mike Johnson seeks to block public release, some Republicans demand transparency due to Gaetz’s nomination.

The Justice Department previously investigated similar allegations but declined to press charges.

Senate confirmation hearings are expected to intensify scrutiny.

44 comments

I feel like "resigning from your office" shouldn't be a way to keep forever sealed the results of investigations that have already happened.
- Well I know someone who shut down over 90(?) felony charges simply by running for election. And succeeding, apparently. Apparently heads of state and president elects are all immune to the justice system.
  
  I'm sure the people who were big mad that Hillary Clinton may have violated company policy but didn't break any laws will be equally outraged at this.
- "Boss, you're not allowed to report me for stealing in the workplace, because I quit"
- You can't arrest me, I'm a sovereign citizen!
  
  You're not a US citizen? Deported.
- Taxpayer money was used to create that report. If they don't release it, then it's just a waste of taxpayer money.
  
  Unless it is classified, should it not fall under FOIA?

Why is this an ethics probe and not a criminal investigation from law enforcement?
- Because the law doesn’t apply to the rich, and all of this is a dog and pony show
- I think there were two different investigations. I suspect the ethics committee one has fewer hurdles to overcome in order to make it public. (Don't quote me on that—I may be mistaken)
- The criminal investigation was dropped last year
  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64644518

Speech and debate clause.
Someone should read that on the floor

Leak it. Leak it. Leak it. Leak it. Leak it. LEAK IT!

Which means it will be leaked soon.
- It should, but frankly, I've given up believing that people can be trusted to rise to the occasion and do the right thing.
  
  Oops, accidentally invited in some tourists... it be ashamed if someone took that report as a souvenier 🤭
  
  The Panama Papers were released in full but they only led to the reporters being killed.
- I will be buying popcorn today!
- Just park it in a box at some tacky resort in Florida. Then charge admission.

and had relations with a minor, which he denies.
That's called rape, full stop.

People need to stop asking if they're going to confirm him and start asking senators why they're voting for a pedophile. Where is the line too far? At what point does appeasing Trump become a threat to the nation?
- They’ll do recess appointments, claim they didn’t vote for him, and point the finger at Trump, who will end democracy.
  
  Except, in a rare moment of spinal development, Moscow Mitch has already said there would be no recess appointments. Let's hope that holds.
- Too easy to deflect.
  "Matt Gaetz is the victim of leftist lawfare. If he was a pedophile, why hasn't he been charged? Why do you want to punish people without due process?"
  And then some nonsense about how persecuted white men are.
- Circa 2016

I guarantee there's something in that report we don't know. Concealing the report already implies the allegations are true. It doesn't actually save face at all. There's either more victims, or it implicates someone else.

GOP senators need to remember the fable about the sinking electric boat. Surrounded by sharks
- I should be ashamed of the amount of time I spend thinking about this electric boat shark situation.

That's the goal, imo. Which Republican politician will accept a clearly unacceptable pick? Who will bend the knee? If you oppose Trump's pick, you're being primaried (or worst in the long term)
- Tuberville, for one
  This is one of Trump's humiliation rituals, this time for Senators. They'll either accept and participate in the ritual, or Trump will run them out of the party.
  Part of this will be tempered by the fact that a lot of these will go through the recess appointment process. The Senate won't be able to prevent this even if they wanted to. It's up to Johnson or whoever ends up being speaker of the House.
  https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/11/trump-cabinet-recess-appointment-senate/680697/

All this attention is just going to help him. The guy is going to run for president now

Make it public you cowards.

Is the report going to explain what’s happening to this motherfucker’s head? Why is it increasingly shaped like that?

FOIA!!

Tommy Tuberville said he would ruin the career of any Republican that blocks his confirmation. It'll be interesting if he still feels that way of he gets to read it. Haha of course he'll still feel that because he's a turd.

Given the “will of the people” with Trump having won a majority of votes, and given the statement “never interrupt your enemy when they’re making a mistake” I feel like the dems should just help nominate all of trumps picks. It’s a more crazy idea admittedly, but I think these are the interesting times we live in. Gaetz would literally be ineffective and hilariously stupid. Which would mean that every legal case wouldn’t matter over the next few years. If he picked someone (evil) competent like Barr again we’d be radically fucked. Gaetz means we have a chance of nothing happening for a while.
- I disagree. I don't think accelerationism is the answer. But given how fucked everything is, I also don't have a better one...
  
  I think that’s my line of logic though. Why not accelerate. We either speed up the collapse, or we prove that “running government like a business” gets us this mess. The dems have for too long played the game of appeasement with complaints and limits. If the people want Trump, and they’re fine with the horror that brings them give them the whole package. It’s not like as if we can say “well but brown people will suffer more” or “trans rights” when all of this is being eroded away as it stands.
  My view is that this is a longer, cultural issue and sometimes putting it all out on display is a better option than just sitting idly by as things deteriorate.

44 comments