Welcome to the EIGHTH installment of Gaetzgate, Crooks and Liars' coverage of the rapidly unfolding litany of legal troubles facing Matt Gaetz, one of the most disliked members of Congress. To catch up on the previous seven entries, please read my previous post, which covered payments Gaetz made to three teenagers. There are links embedded for the previous six entries.
This latest development is related to a new House Ethics Committee investigation into Matt Gaetz, and it covers five separate and very serious allegations. They include:
- Engaging in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use
- Sharing inappropriate images or videos on the House floor
- Misusing state identification records
- Converting campaign funds to personal use
- Accepting a bribe, improper gratuity or impermissible gift
Here is the letter:
But Gaetz is undeterred, and seems to be trying to follow The Former Guy's playbook of Deny, Deflect and Double Down. During a MAGA speech at Trump Doral in Miami on Friday night, Gaetz said:
Will Gaetz's use of Trump's play work? Probably not. Trump himself, as well as all of his associates and close political allies, have not made any statements supporting Gaetz. The Daily Beast is reporting that The Former Guy's advisors "implored Trump to not publicly defend Gaetz, at least until more was known about the veracity of the allegations regarding a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and the federal probe. For the most part, Trump has privately agreed with that advice, and various Trumpworld luminaries, members of the Trump family, and top Republicans and conservative media stars have shut the hell up about the Gaetz scandal."
Rep. Adam Kinzinger is the only GOP member of Congress to publicly call for Gaetz to resign:
If even ONE of these allegations were leveled against a Democrat, you can bet the entire GOP would be calling for them to resign, with FOX News having wall-to-wall coverage of it. But a GOP Congressman does all of these things? Crickets.
