WASHINGTON — Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matt-gaetz">Matt Gaetz</a> (R-FL) plans to introduce an amendment Wednesday reinstating armed service members who were dismissed for refusing the COVID vaccine.
When the House Armed Services Committee marks up the National Defense Authorization Act, Gaetz will introduce an amendment protecting armed service members who refuse to get the COVID vaccine, reinstating members who were dismissed over their refusal at the same rank and grade, and providing back pay and benefits to the members who were dismissed.
&#8220;I see the impact on our readiness from these mandates,&#8221; he said during a Tuesday afternoon phone interview with The Daily Wire. &#8220;We are hundreds of pilots short in the Air Force and and we&#8217;ve lost a number of pilots as a consequence of these mandates.&#8221;
The Florida Republican expressed frustration to The Daily Wire that the opposition to his amendments does not merely come from Democrats, warning that the leading Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Mike Rogers (R-AL), has expressed public support for the military vaccine mandate.
&#8220;I hope that number reaches 100% quickly,&#8221; <a href="https://republicans-armedservices.house.gov/news/press-releases/rogers-statement-covid-19-vaccinations-members-military">said Rogers</a> of the number of vaccinated service members in August 2021.
&#8220;That is not my view,&#8221; Gaetz said of Rogers&#8217; remarks, &#8220;and I doubt that&#8217;s the view of a majority of Republicans.&#8221;
As of late May, the Army had discharged at least 742 active-duty soldiers for refusing to get vaccinated, <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/05/27/number-of-soldiers-booted-vaccine-refusal-doubled-last-month.html">Military.com reported,</a> noting that the number had more than doubled since the previous month.
The publication reported that 3,416 general officer reprimands, widely seen as &#8220;career killers in the military,&#8221; had also been given out to soldiers who refused the vaccine, and the Army had only granted nine out of 4,428 religious exemption applications.
&#8220;These are kitchen table issues in my district because I represent the district that has the highest concentration of active duty military in the country,&#8221; Gaetz explained, emphasizing that after Afghanistan, mental health and &#8220;a sense of self-worth&#8221; among many active duty military and veterans has deteriorated.
&#8220;I saw that in higher call volumes to our veterans service organizations,&#8221; Gaetz said. &#8220;This has compounded that malaise and frustration in our ranks because people feel like they didn&#8217;t have any agency in how the military that they&#8217;ve given their lives to is making decisions.&#8221;
Many of the service members who submitted religious exemption requests got back blanket form letter rejections, the congressman said.
&#8220;That violates the law,&#8221; Gaetz insisted. &#8220;Each exemption is entitled to an individual review, and our service members were denied that opportunity with these blanket form letter rejections.&#8221;
&#8220;Our military is not stronger today as a consequence of these vaccine mandate separations,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It&#8217;s weaker.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-defense">Department of Defense</a> did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire addressing how many service members had been discharged for failing to get vaccinated, as well as how many religious exemption requests have been filed and how many have been granted.
&#8220;We deserve a military that is apolitical and doesn&#8217;t cater to any ideology other than American success,&#8221; Gaetz said on Tuesday. &#8220;Unfortunately, we now have a military that embraces Critical Race Theory, that teaches socialism at the National War College, and it drives out patriotic Americans who are religious and faith based. Those features of the current military leadership are having a compounding negative effect on the fighting force and our nation&#8217;s readiness.&#8221;

Screen Shot 2022-06-21 at 6.29.46 PM

‘I See The Impact On Our Readiness’: Matt Gaetz Pushes To Reinstate Service Members Dismissed Over The COVID Vaccine

Gaetz Pushes Amendment Reinstating Military Members Dismissed For Refusing To Get Vaccinated

COVID-19

COVID-19 Vaccine

Florida

Matt Gaetz

Vaccine Mandate

WASHINGTON — Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) is denying that she leaked audio to the New York Times of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) saying that he was considering telling former President Donald Trump to resign.
A Cheney spokesman told The Daily Wire on Friday morning that Cheney neither recorded nor leaked the tape of McCarthy and does not know how reporters obtained it, noting that the committee investigating the Capitol Riot has unsuccessfully asked McCarthy to discuss the matter.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/us/politics/trump-mitch-mcconnell-kevin-mccarthy.html">first reported Thursday morning</a> that McCarthy had contemplated calling on the president to resign, prompting McCarthy’s office to issue a flat denial of the story. But MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow aired an audio recording Thursday evening which cast doubt on the House minority leader’s claim.
The news prompted Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz to accuse Cheney of recording McCarthy “for the New York Times” on Friday morning, warning McCarthy, “You should have trusted my instincts, not your own.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
While I was rallying in Wyoming against Liz Cheney…
Kevin McCarthy was defending Liz Cheney among House Republicans…
While Liz Cheney was secretly recording Kevin McCarthy for the New York Times. <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPLeader?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GOPLeader</a> &#8211; you should have trusted my instincts, not your own. <a href="https://t.co/teTxIvUAUt">pic.twitter.com/teTxIvUAUt</a>
&mdash; Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/1517466701402718208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“While I was rallying in Wyoming against Liz Cheney…Kevin McCarthy was defending Liz Cheney among House Republicans,” he tweeted. “While Liz Cheney was secretly recording Kevin McCarthy for the New York Times.”
Gaetz did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire.
“My gut tells me no,” McCarthy reportedly said during a private call with Republicans, responding to a question from Cheney about whether Trump would resign, <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/audio-contradicts-mccarthy-s-denial-that-he-said-he-would-recommend-that-trump-resign-138276933865?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma">according to audio aired on MSNBC</a>. “I am seriously thinking about having that conversation with him tonight. I haven’t talked to him in a couple days. From what I know of him, I mean you guys all know him, too, do you think he’d ever back away?
“We know it’ll pass the House, I think there’s a chance it’ll pass the senate even when he’s gone. And I think there’s a lot of different ramifications for that. … The only discussion I would have with him is I think this will pass, and it would be my recommendation that he should resign,” he continued, referring to the impeachment resolution.
“That would be my take, but I don’t think he would take it,” McCarthy said. “But I don’t know.”
Cheney was the number three House Republican leader at the time, though she is now an outspoken opponent of Trump.
McCarthy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire.
Before the audio was released, a McCarthy spokesperson told The New York Times that “McCarthy never said he’d call Trump to say he should resign.&#8221; McCarthy had also released his own statement calling the Times&#8217; reporting “totally false and wrong.”
“It comes as no surprise that the corporate media is obsessed with doing everything it can to further a liberal agenda,” McCarthy said. “This promotional book tour is no different. If the reporters were interested in truth why would they ask for comment after the book was printed?”

Screen Shot 2022-04-22 at 10.06.42 AM

Liz Cheney Denies Leaking McCarthy Audio To New York Times

Capitol Riot

Donald Trump

January 6

January 6 Committee

Kevin McCarthy

Liz Cheney

Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) unloaded on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during Tuesday&#8217;s House Armed Services Committee hearing, saying he was &#8220;embarrassed&#8221; by the senior military official&#8217;s leadership.
Gaetz mentioned the requested military budget — some $773 billion — and suggested that perhaps that money ought to be used to take corrective actions after what he argued was a series of &#8220;blown calls&#8221; made by military leadership in recent months.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a>: &quot;The fact that you&#39;re embarrassed by your country. I’m sorry for that.&quot;
Gaetz: “I&#39;m embarrassed by YOUR leadership! I’m not embarrassed for my country. It&#39;s disgraceful that you would sit here &amp; conflate your failures with those of uniformed service members.” <a href="https://t.co/mUfRNbY8Rt">pic.twitter.com/mUfRNbY8Rt</a>
&mdash; Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz/status/1511381260983275530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;You guys have been blowing a lot of calls lately on matters of strategy, Mr. Secretary. You guys told us that Russia couldn’t lose, you told us the Taliban couldn’t immediately win, and so I guess I’m wondering, what in the $773 billion that you’re requesting today is going to help you make assessments that are accurate in the face of so many blown calls?&#8221; Gaetz asked.
&#8220;You’ve seen what’s in our budget. You’ve seen how the budget matches the strategy and so I’ll let that speak for itself,&#8221; Austin replied.
Gaetz continued to push and Austin pushed back, as the two continued to talk over each other.
&#8220;We’re behind in hypersonics, we failed to deter Russia. Last year, China —&#8221; Gaetz added, and Austin interrupted to ask what Gaetz thought would be the best way to evaluate &#8220;hypersonics.&#8221;
&#8220;You’re own people brief us that we are behind and China is winning. Are you aware of the briefings we get on hypersonics?&#8221; Gaetz asked, prompting a visibly annoyed Austin to reply, &#8220;I’m certainly aware of briefings we give to Congress.&#8221;
Gaetz then pivoted to address the military&#8217;s recent focus on social issues, suggesting that woke culture was distracting from more important things like strategy, saying, &#8220;We got time to embrace Critical Race Theory at West Point, to embrace socialism at the National Defense University, to do mandatory pronoun training —&#8221;
&#8220;Again, this is the most capable, this is the most combat critical force in the world. It has been so, and it will be so going forward,&#8221; Austin pushed back, and Gaetz responded, &#8220;Not if we continue down this path. Not if we embrace socialism.&#8221;
“The fact that you’re embarrassed by your country? I’m sorry for that,&#8221; Austin said then, but Gaetz interrupted.
&#8220;I’m embarrassed by your leadership! I’m not embarrassed for my country,” he said. &#8220;I wish we were not losing to China &#8230; that is so disgraceful that you would sit here and conflate your failures with the failures of the uniformed service members.&#8221;
Gaetz turned his attention once more to what he said were the military leadership&#8217;s &#8220;blown calls,&#8221; concluding, &#8220;You guys said that Russia would overrun Ukraine in 36 days, you said the Taliban would be kept at bay for months, you totally blew those calls and maybe we would be better at them if the National Defense University actually worked a little more on strategy and a little less on wokeism.&#8221;

Attorney General Garland Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee

‘I’m Embarrassed By Your Leadership!’: Matt Gaetz Gives Lloyd Austin An Earful Over Military’s ‘Wokeism’

Lloyd Austin

U.S. Military

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) introduced legislation on Tuesday, dubbed the “Spook Who Cried Wolf Resolution,” to bar security clearances for 51 intelligence officials who signed on to a letter in the fall of 2020 claiming that the story about Hunter Biden&#8217;s laptop was part of a Russian disinformation operation.
Gaetz <a href="https://gaetz.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-matt-gaetz-introduces-resolution-strip-security-clearances-intel">said</a> in a press release:
<blockquote>On October 19, 2020, 51 former intelligence officials signed a letter titled, “Public Statement on the Hunter Biden Emails,” which claimed Hunter Biden’s emails were a part of a “Russian information operation.” Following the censorship of the New York Post’s exposé on the emails by Big Tech and media tycoons, the New York Times confirmed the legitimacy of the emails on March 17, 2022. As of March 22, 2022, 4 of the 51 signatories maintained their support for the erroneous letter.</blockquote>
&#8220;The 51 signatories of the letter who publicly and falsely decried Hunter Biden’s laptop to be Russian disinformation should be barred from holding any level of security clearances indefinitely,&#8221; Gaetz&#8217;s resolution <a href="https://gaetz.house.gov/sites/gaetz.house.gov/files/documents/The%20Spook%20Who%20Cried%20Wolf.pdf">states</a>.
The 51 intelligence officials who <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000175-4393-d7aa-af77-579f9b330000">signed</a> the letter include:
<ol>
<li>Jim Clapper, Former Director of National Intelligence</li>
<li>Mike Hayden, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Leon Panetta, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>John Brennan, Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Thomas Finger, Former Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis</li>
<li>Rick Ledgett, Former Deputy Director, National Security Agency</li>
<li>John McLaughlin, Former Acting Director, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Michael Morell, Former Actng Director, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Mike Vickers, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence</li>
<li>Doug Wise, Former Deputy Director, Defense Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Nick Rasmussen, Former Director, National Counterterrorism Center</li>
<li>Russ Travers, Former Acting Director, National Counterterrorism Center</li>
<li>Andy Liepman, Former Deputy Director, National Counterterrorism Center</li>
<li>John Moseman, Former Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Larry Pfeiffer, Former Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Jeremy Bash, Former Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Rodney Snyder, Former Chief of Staff, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Glenn Gerstell, Former General Counsel, National Security Agency</li>
<li>David B. Buckley, Former Inspector General, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Nada Bakos, Former Analyst and Targeting Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Patty Brandmaier, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>James B. Bruce, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>David Cariens, Former Intelligence Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Janice Cariens, Former Operational Support Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Paul Kolbe, Former Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Peter Corsell, Former Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Brett Davis, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Roger Zane George, Former National Intelligence Officer</li>
<li>Steven L. Hall, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Kent Harrington, Former National Intelligence Officer for East Asia, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Don Hepburn, Former Senior National Security Executive</li>
<li>Timothy D. Kilbourn, Former Dean, Sherman Kent School of Intelligence Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Ron Marks, Former Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Jonna Hiestand Mendez, Technical Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Emile Nakhleh, Former Director of the Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Gerald A. O’Shea, Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>David Priess, Former Analyst and Manager, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Pam Purcilly, Former Deputy Director of Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Marc Polymeropoulos, Former Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Chris Savos, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Officer</li>
<li>Nick Shapiro, Former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Director, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>John Sipher, Former Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Stephen Slick, Former Senior Director for Intelligence Programs, National Security Council</li>
<li>Cynthia Strand, Former Deputy Assistant Director for Global Issues, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Greg Tarbell, Former Deputy Executive Director, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>David Terry, Former Chairman of the National Intelligence Collection Board</li>
<li>Greg Treverton, Former Chair, National Intelligence Council</li>
<li>John Tullius, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>David A. Vanell, Former Senior Operations Officer, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Winston Wiley, Former Director of Analysis, Central Intelligence Agency</li>
<li>Kristin Wood, Former Senior Intelligence Officer, Central Intelligence Agency.</li>
</ol>

Former President Donald Trump Rallies Supporters In Georgia

Gaetz Pushes To Strip Security Clearances From Intel Officials Who Dismissed Hunter Biden Laptop Story

Hunter Biden

laptop computer

Russiagate

MSNBC host Tiffany Cross laid into Illinois teenager Kyle Rittenhouse, calling him a &#8220;little murderous white supremacist&#8221; during her Saturday show, &#8220;The Cross Connection.&#8221;
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/sit-down-and-be-humble-msnbc-host-calls-megyn-kelly-racist-for-criticizing-meghan-markle-naomi-osaka/">Cross</a> devoted a good portion of the show to a lengthy conversation about <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/cnns-cuomo-kyle-rittenhouse-trial-verdict-was-justified-what-we-should-want-every-time/">Rittenhouse</a> — who shot three people during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August of 2020 and was acquitted Friday of all the charges against him.
Joining Cross in that conversation was The Nation&#8217;s legal correspondent Elie Mystal, who argued that Rittenhouse had only been <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-kyle-rittenhouse-sobs-collapses-in-court-after-getting-acquitted-on-all-counts/">acquitted</a> because &#8220;the judge was in the tank from the defendant from the jump.&#8221;
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&#8220;This is not a miscarriage of justice, this is justice working as intended for white people. And the way you know that is because of the judge. The reason why I was able to predict that was because of the judge. The judge was in the tank [for] the defendant from the jump. I mean literally before the trial, he was making motions and making rulings in favor of Rittenhouse,&#8221; Mystal continued, adding, &#8220;His actual decision-making favored the defendant the entire time&#8221;
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/the-epitome-of-white-privilege-the-medias-worst-reactions-to-the-kyle-rittenhouse-trial/">Mystal</a> went on to argue that the justice system had been designed to be &#8220;permissive of white violence,&#8221; and that no progress would ever be made unless that bias was confronted and addressed. &#8220;Kyle Rittenhouse is just the latest beneficiary of that bias in the justice system,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;I’m just disgusted because I still don’t think that Rittenhouse understands that he is morally wrong if the justice system did not find him legally wrong,&#8221; Cross added, arguing that Rittenhouse needed to understand that the moral standard and the legal standard applied to his actions should not necessarily be the same.
Cross went on to note a short time later that several Republicans, including Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz and Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, had suggested Rittenhouse might make a good Congressional intern.
&#8220;I find these people disgusting, Elie. I’m disgusted at what I’m seeing. It’s not just this trial, it’s other trials, but this in particular: The fact that white supremacists roam the halls of Congress freely and celebrate this little murderous white supremacist, and the fact that he gets to walk the streets freely, it lets you know these people have access to instituting laws, they represent the legislative branch of this country. What are we to make of that?&#8221; Cross asked.
&#8220;Welcome to the modern Republican Party. This is what these people want,&#8221; Mystal replied, claiming that white people showed their support for white violence by voting for Republicans. &#8220;And this is what a majority of white people vote for. When I say that majority of white people are in favor of this kind of violence, it is because a majority of white people consistently vote Republican. Since the passage of the Civil Rights Act, a majority of white people have voted Republican. So, like, this is the party that they are supporting.&#8221;
&#8220;A majority of white people pick judges like Bruce Schroeder, the judge in the Kyle Rittenhouse case. A majority of white people do not support policies that would unpack and unroll and reform this system of justice. This is what they want. Matt Gaetz is giving the white folks what they want,&#8221; Mystal continued. &#8220;Look at it. Look at yourselves. It’s gross. But until a majority of you stop voting for this, this will keep happening.&#8221;
&#8220;What these cases that we&#8217;re watching all have in common is white people deputizing themselves in some position of authority to have jurisdiction over their life when they need to mind their blanking business,&#8221; Cross agreed.

Texas Conference For Women 2019

MSNBC Host ‘Disgusted’ By Kenosha Verdict, Calls Rittenhouse A ‘Little Murderous White Supremacist’

Kyle Rittenhouse

MSNBC

Tiffany Cross

White Supremacists

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) claimed on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday that President Joe Biden&#8217;s Department of Justice refused to arrest a man who allegedly threatened to kill Gaetz and who allegedly traveled to Washington, D.C.
&#8220;I thank the gentleman for yielding because I think someone may be trying to kill me,&#8221; Gaetz said. &#8220;And if they are successful, I would like my constituents and my family to know who stopped their arrest. Madam Speaker, on October 8, 2021, a Twitter handle, styled, CIA Bob is at your door, tweeted to @RepMattGaetz, &#8216;Looky here, pal. I lived in Portland. Portland has ordered a hit on you. I accepted the contract. Have a good day.’”
&#8220;Following this tweet, this individual traveled to Washington, D.C., and the Capitol Police recommended his arrest,&#8221; Gaetz continued. &#8220;That&#8217;s information that was just shared with me by the investigations and threat assessment section of the Protective Services Bureau, and specifically, George [last name], and George shared with me that the Capitol Police recommended the arrest of this individual and that the Department of Justice refused to do so, declined to do so.&#8221;
&#8220;And on the eve of the Attorney General testifying before the Judiciary Committee tomorrow, it is just yet another example of the Department of Justice having a double standard,&#8221; Gaetz added. &#8220;If my name weren&#8217;t Gaetz, if it were Omar or Tlaib, you bet this person would have been arrested because that&#8217;s what the Capitol Police recommended. But the Department of Justice doesn&#8217;t seem to care so much when it&#8217;s Republicans.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: A man traveled across the country with the explicit goal of killing me in Washington, D.C. 
Capitol Police recommended arrest. They were blocked by DOJ. <a href="https://t.co/4nxMzJVycZ">https://t.co/4nxMzJVycZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZejSezYHOC">pic.twitter.com/ZejSezYHOC</a>
&mdash; Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz/status/1450956644616179717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): I thank the gentleman for yielding because I think someone may be trying to kill me. And if they are successful, I would like my constituents and my family to know who stopped their arrest. Madam Speaker, on October 8, 2021, a Twitter handle, styled, CIA Bob is at your door, tweeted to @RepMattGaetz, &#8216;Looky here, pal. I lived in Portland. Portland has ordered a hit on you. I accepted the contract. Have a good day.&#8217; Following this tweet, this individual traveled to Washington, D.C., and the Capitol Police recommended his arrest. That&#8217;s information that was just shared with me by the investigations and threat assessment section of the Protective Services Bureau, and specifically, George [last name], and George shared with me that the Capitol Police recommended the arrest of this individual and that the Department of Justice refused to do so, declined to do so. And on the eve of the Attorney General testifying before the Judiciary Committee tomorrow, it is just yet another example of the Department of Justice having a double standard. If my name weren&#8217;t Gaetz, if it were Omar or Tlaib, you bet this person would have been arrested because that&#8217;s what the Capitol Police recommended. But the Department of Justice doesn&#8217;t seem to care so much when it&#8217;s Republicans.</blockquote>

Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles – July 14, 2021

Biden’s DOJ Refused To Arrest Man Who Threatened To Kill Matt Gaetz And Traveled To D.C., Gaetz Claims

Biden Administration

Department of Justice

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) grilled General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday over the Biden administration&#8217;s disastrous pullout from Afghanistan.
Gaetz opened up his five minutes of questions by highlighting a previous remark that Milley gave to the Committee last year, and asked him, &#8220;You really blew that call, didn’t you, General?&#8221;
&#8220;You spent more time with Bob Woodward on this book than you spent analyzing the very likely prospect that the Afghanistan government was going to fall immediately to the Taliban, didn’t you?&#8221; Gaetz asked Milley as he held up a copy of &#8220;Peril.&#8221;
&#8220;Not even close, Congressman,&#8221; Milley responded.
&#8220;Oh, really? Because you said right after Kabul fell that no one could have anticipated the immediate fall of the Ghani government,&#8221; Gaetz responded. &#8220;When did you become aware that Joe Biden tried to get Ghani to lie about the conditions in Afghanistan? He did that in July. Did you know that right away?&#8221;
&#8220;I’m not aware of what President Biden, lying,&#8221; Milley said as he appeared to struggle answering the question.
Gaetz later pressed Austin over the failures he has experienced in his military career and accused Milley of violating the chain of command over a phone call that he had with his Chinese counterpart.
&#8220;If we didn’t have a president that was so addled, you all would be fired because that is what you deserve,&#8221; Gaetz said. &#8220;You have let down the people who wear the uniform in my district and all around this country. And you’re far more interested in what your perception is and how people think about you and insider Washington books than you care about winning which this group seems incapable of doing.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&#039;YOU SHOULD BE FIRED!&#039; Matt Gaetz rips military commanders during fiery hearing exchange" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rxDsSSL1zfw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): February 26, 2020, House Armed Services Committee, General Mark Milley, “We know we’re not going to defeat the Taliban militarily, and they’re not going to defeat the government of Afghanistan militarily.” You really blew that call, didn’t you, General?
GENERAL MILLEY, CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: I believe that that was an issue, a strategic stalemate, and that if we had remained in Afghanistan with the advisory levels of effort than the government of Afghanistan and the Afghan Security Forces&#8211;
GAETZ: Well, that’s an interesting answer to a question. It’s just not one I asked. You spent more time with Bob Woodward on this book than you spent analyzing the very likely prospect that the Afghanistan government was going to fall immediately to the Taliban. Didn’t you?
MILLEY: Not even close, Congressman.
GAETZ: Oh really? Because you said right after Kabul fell that no one could have anticipated the immediate fall of the Ghani government. When did you become aware that Joe Biden tried to get Ghani to lie about the conditions in Afghanistan? He did that in July. Did you know that right away?
MILLEY: I’m not aware of what President Biden, lying …
GAETZ: You’re not aware of the phone call that Biden had with Ghani where he said, “Whether it is true or not, we want you to go out there and paint a rosy picture of what’s going on in Afghanistan.” You’re the chief military advisor to the president. You said that the Taliban was not going to defeat the government of Afghanistan militarily, which by the way they cut through them like a hot knife through butter. And then the president tries to get Ghani to lie. When did you become aware of that attempt?
MILLEY: Well there&#8217;s two things there, Congressman, if I may. One is what I said was the situation was stalemate. And if we kept advisers with there, the government of Afghanistan and the army would have still been there. That’s what I said. Whether that’s right or wrong, I don’t know. But …
GAETZ: It seems wrong now …
MILLEY: Well, we withdrew all the ….
GAETZ: Question for Secretary Austin. Secretary Austin, are you capable of assessing whether another has the will to fight?
LLOYD AUSTIN, DEFENSE SECRETARY: No, we’re not. And that’s the point that the Chairman made earlier.
GAETZ: That’s just like an incredibly disappointing thing for the Secretary of Defense to simply say, I can’t assess whether someone has the will to fight, but it is consistent with your record. I mean, during the Obama Administration, I think they gave you about $48 million to go train up some folks in Syria to go take on the Assad government, and I think your testimony was that only four or five survived first contact with the enemy. So what confidence should this committee have in you or should the country have in you when you’ve now confessed to us, and whether it’s the swing and a miss in Afghanistan that General Milley talked to the Senate about yesterday, total failure, or whether it was your failures in Syria? You don’t seem capable to look at a fighting force and determine whether or not they have the will. Is that an embarrassing thing?
AUSTIN: You recall, Congressman, that the end result was the SDF that we stood up that was very, very instrumental in turning the tide of a battle up in Syria.
GAETZ: Oh yeah, turned it so much. You’ve got Assad in power in Syria. You’ve got the Taliban in power in Afghanistan. I mean, where have you been?
AUSTIN: The focus was ISIS, Congressman, and those forces had significant effect on the ISIS network.
GAETZ: It just seems like you’re chronically bad at this. And you have admitted that, I guess, which is to your credit. But when people in the military like Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller stand up and demand accountability, when they say that you all screwed up, when they point out that General Milley&#8217;s statement that the government of Afghanistan is not going to get defeated by the Taliban. Well, he ends up in the brig and you all end up in front of us and your former employer Raytheon ends up with a lot of money and we have poured cash and blood and credibility into a Ghani government that was a mirage.
It fell immediately. And while the guy sitting next to you was off talking to Phil Rucker and was off doing his thing with Bob Woodward, we were buying into the big lie, the big lie that this was ever going to be successful, and that we could ever rely on the Afghanistan government for anything at all. General Milley, you kind of gave up the game earlier when you said you wanted to address elements of your personal conduct that were in question. We’re not questioning your personal conduct. We’re questioning in your official capacity going and undermining the chain of command, which is obviously what you did. You’ve created this whole chain of communication narrative.
MILLEY: I did not undermine the chain of command in any manner that they performed, Congressman.
GAETZ: Yeah, you did. You absolutely did. And it …
MILLEY: Did not.
GAETZ: Well, you know what, you said yesterday that you weren’t going to resign when senators asked you this question, and I believe that you guys probably won’t resign. You seem to be very happy failing up over there. But if we didn’t have a president that was so addled, you all would be fired because that is what you deserve. You have let down the people who wear the uniform in my district and all around this country. And you’re far more interested in what your perception is and how people think about you and insider Washington books than you care about winning which this group seems incapable of doing.</blockquote>

Gen. Milley And Secretary Austin Testify Before House Armed Services Committee

Matt Gaetz Grills General Milley Over Afghanistan Disaster: ‘You Really Blew That Call, Didn’t You?’

Mark Milley

Months ago, the media publicized an FBI investigation involving Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), alleging he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, whom he allegedly paid to travel with him. Gaetz denied the allegations and said they were part of an extortion plot against him and his family that the FBI had been working on with them.
It has been five months since the media vociferously covered the Gaetz investigation, based on anonymous leaks to The New York Times. As I <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fbi-is-now-mainly-a-weapon-against-republicans">wrote</a> at the time, publicizing an investigation like this seeks to destroy the accused in the court of public opinion without needing evidence to back up those assertions. Some of the allegations against Gaetz should have been easy to corroborate, like flight details, yet the absence of such information led some to believe the allegations were politically motivated.
It is still possible that Gaetz will be indicted for a crime.
Glenn Greenwald on Friday mentioned the lack of movement in the Gaetz investigation, adding that “leaking the existence of investigations without charges is a crime for a reason: destroys reputations with no chance of defense.”
“This was a favorite tactic of corrupt Brazilian prosecutors: they&#8217;d leak investigations and accusations to corporate media outlets, which would trumpet them, but never charge the person, thus destroying their enemies&#8217; reputations with no need to ever prove the case in court,” Greenwald added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This was a favorite tactic of corrupt Brazilian prosecutors: they&#8217;d leak investigations and accusations to corporate media outlets, which would trumpet them, but never charge the person, thus destroying their enemies&#8217; reputations with no need to ever prove the case in court.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) <a href="https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1433845651096412203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Even though nothing has been substantiated in the investigation that involves Gaetz &#8212; who was not the target of the investigation but part of it because of a political ally &#8212; the congressman’s claims of extortion have been corroborated, as a man was just charged in connection with the plot.
Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2021/08/31/man-charged-with-25m-extortion-scheme-promising-pardon-for-rep-matt-gaetz-1390611">reported</a> that 62-year-old Stephen Alford was indicted for wire fraud “and destruction of property subject to a seizure warrant.”
From Politico:
<blockquote><a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/press-release/file/1429001/download">The indictment</a> alleges that in March and April of this year, Alford attempted to get Gaetz’s wealthy father, Don, to pay the large sum as part of a complex deal dubbed “Project Homecoming.” The scheme Alford promoted would also have funded a private effort to rescue a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in 2007, Robert Levinson. U.S. officials said last year they believe Levinson was arrested and later died in Iranian custody, but Iran has publicly denied arresting Levinson. His body has never been found.
According to the indictment, Alford said he could “guarantee” that one of Don Gaetz’s family members would not go to prison if the money Alford demanded was paid. Don Gaetz told POLITICO in March that he wore a wire at the FBI’s request. Many of the quotes and details in the indictment appear to come from the discussions he recorded.</blockquote>
Harlan Hill, Gaetz’s spokesperson, said in a statement to Politico that the “release of the Alford tapes will further exculpate Rep. Gaetz and implicate those with long-standing links to the federal government.”
As Politico noted, the allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaetz came from a former friend and political ally, Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to sex trafficking and falsely claiming a political opponent was a pedophile, as well as other crimes. Greenberg is attempting to get a lighter sentence by cooperating in the investigation against Gaetz.

Media For Months Reported On Matt Gaetz Investigation Without Evidence. Gaetz’s Claims Of Extortion Were Just Corroborated, However.

The data manager who claimed Florida’s Department of Health was fudging COVID-19 numbers to make the state look better now says she plans to run for congress to unseat Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz.
NBC News last week, in an article glorifying alleged “whistleblower” Rebekah Jones while pointing out Gaetz’s political vulnerabilities, reported that Jones was planning to run for congress. “Florida Covid whistle-blower Rebekah Jones hopes to unseat scandal-scarred Rep. Matt Gaetz,” read NBC’s headline.
Of course, NBC did not mention <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/media-wanted-to-believe-florida-was-fudging-covid-19-data-but-the-story-is-a-fraud">any of the issues</a> with Jones’ claims or her history of false statements and legal issues. Last month, National Review’s Charles C.W. Cooke <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/rebekah-jones-the-covid-whistleblower-who-wasnt/">reported</a> that Jones’ claims about being told to alter Florida’s COVID-19 data isn’t even plausible on its face, as she never handled raw data and was given a copy of the data she was supposed to input in the system.
Further, Jones’ story changed dramatically the more she told it, from her initial claims that she was fired for merely questioning the data. The Associated Press initially <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/ousted-florida-virus-data-curator-history-violations-70853281">reported</a> that “Jones has not alleged any tampering with data on deaths, hospital symptom surveillance, hospitalizations for COVID-19, numbers of new confirmed cases, or overall testing rates — core elements of any assessment of the outbreak and of federal criteria for reopening.” The outlet also noted that “Jones acknowledges Florida has been relatively transparent — for which she herself claims some credit — and relatively successful in controlling the pandemic.”
Since that initial story, however, Jones began saying that, actually, yeah, her superiors &#8212; particularly Dr. Shamarial Roberson &#8212; had directly instructed her to “delete cases and deaths” to make Florida look better. She now claims Roberson “asked me to go into the raw data and manually alter figures.”
Again, remember that Jones didn’t have access to the raw data. She merely ran the dashboard. To further illustrate this point, National Review pointed out that Jones now runs her own dashboard, using the same data as the state, she simply displays it differently:
<blockquote>Or, to put it more bluntly, she displays them badly. When you get past all of the nonsense, what Jones is ultimately saying is that the State of Florida—and, by extension, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—has not processed its data in the same way that she would if she were in charge. But, frankly, why would it? Again, Jones isn’t an epidemiologist, and her objections, while compelling to the sort of low-information political obsessive she is so good at attracting, betray a considerable ignorance of the material issues. In order to increase the numbers in Florida’s case count, Jones counts positive antibody tests as cases. But that’s unsound, given that (a) those positives include people who have already had COVID-19 or who have had the vaccine, and (b) Jones is unable to avoid double-counting people who have taken both an antibody test and a COVID test that came back positive, because the state correctly refuses to publish the names of the people who have taken those tests. Likewise, Jones claims that Florida is hiding deaths because it does not in­clude nonresidents in its headline numbers. But Florida does report nonresident deaths; it just reports them separately, as every state does, and as the CDC’s guidelines demand. Jones’s most recent claim is that Florida’s “excess death” number is suspicious. But that, too, has been rigorously debunked by pretty much everyone who understands what “excess deaths” means in an epidemiological context—including by the CDC; by Daniel Weinberger, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health; by Lauren Rossen, a statistician at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics; and, most notably, by Jason Salemi, an epidemiologist at the University of South Florida, who, having gone to the trouble of making a video explaining calmly why the talking point was false, was then bullied off Twitter by Jones and her followers.</blockquote>
Cooke followed up his initial reporting with <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/rebekah-jones-admits-she-was-never-asked-to-delete-covid-deaths-in-florida/">another article</a> pointing out that Jones finally admitted she was never asked to delete COVID deaths in Florida, something she had previously claimed. Jones made the admission while claiming she had never suggested she had been asked to do such a thing, but Cooke <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rebekah-jones-florida-whistleblower-claims-she-never-said-she-was-asked-to-delete-covid-deaths-she-claimed-that-specifically">had the receipts</a>.
Gaetz is not without his weaknesses, as he is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice, which claims he paid an underage girl for sex, a charge Gaetz vehemently denies. His spokesperson, Harlan Hill, told NBC that Gaetz “faces no criminal charges,” something Jones cannot say about herself, because she was charged in December with hacking into Florida’s computer system. She denies this.

Florida COVID-19 Data

Rebekah Jones, Florida ‘Whistleblower’ Whose Story Has Been Seriously Questioned, Plans To Run For Congress

Rebekah Jones

Co-hosts of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kACL80OR09E">“The View,”</a> Meghan McCain and Joy Behar, got into a heated exchange on Tuesday while discussing recent developments regarding the investigation surrounding Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL). 
As Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/17/joel-greenberg-matt-gaetz-488993">reported</a>, Joel Greenberg, a former friend and associate of Gaetz, formally pleaded guilty Monday to multiple federal charges, including sex trafficking a minor, ID theft, stalking, and fraud. Greenberg is reportedly planning to cooperate with authorities. 
In response to the ongoing investigation, Behar said, “… the only sin that you commit in the Republican party these days is if you say that Biden won the election — everything else is fine.”
“He feels like he has cover in the Republican Party because, as I said, they don’t care what you do there as long as you say that Trump won the election,” she added.
When asked about the situation, McCain <a href="https://people.com/politics/joy-behar-meghan-mccain-spar-over-matt-gaetz/">said</a>, &#8220;Well, first of all, I have family members and good friends who all work on Capitol Hill in Republican politics and trust me: the Republican Party and people on Capitol Hill are embarrassed by this. So, I think I have a lot better sourcing on that than you do, Joy, no offense.”
McCain went on, saying, “It’s super disgusting. He should go to jail. It’s super embarrassing. Like I have nothing else to add. It’s gross. He’s a deeply unserious person. He should be removed from his committees. There’s some people on the Left that I think should be removed from their committees for some of the things that they’ve said about Israel…if we want to talk about removing committees, we can do this all day long. But Matt Gaetz is a pervert that should go to jail. Okay. The end.&#8221;
Behar spoke up, adding “you&#8217;re right. You know more about what&#8217;s going on in your party than I do,&#8221; before asking a question.
&#8220;My question is: if it&#8217;s not the Republican Party, shall I call it the QAnon party? What shall I call your party now, who defends people like Matt Gaetz and goes against Liz Cheney? What are we supposed to call it? Explain this to me, please.”
McCain responded forcefully, saying, &#8220;I think you can call it whatever you want because your influence in the Republican Party is almost zero and again, as I have said on this show, it is for us to figure out amongst ourselves. What Republican is like, &#8216;Mmm, Joy Behar doesn&#8217;t like my party, oh God, I better stop voting for them now’?”
Behar pushed back, claiming McCain often gives her opinions about what the Democrats should be doing to better their own party.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-says-rep-matt-gaetz-is-innocent-until-proven-guilty">reported</a> last month that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said “Matt Gaetz is the same as any American, he’s innocent until proven guilty. There’s no charges against him yet. If a charge comes forward, that will be dealt with at that time.” 
McCarthy <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_JJG9hVBgI">confirmed</a> that he has spoken with Representative Gaetz, who has told the minority leader that he is innocent. McCarthy also said that he explained the rules of the conference to Gaetz and that they would take action if something were to come out.
Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crimes.

E911B55A-3B0D-47A8-B8DE-54D73CF9E716_1_201_a

‘Your Influence In The Republican Party Is Almost Zero’: Meghan McCain Clashes With Joy Behar

Joy Behar

Meghan McCain

The View

Far-left MSNBC host Joy Reid ran a segment on Thursday night with a partisan former federal prosecutor, Glenn Kirschner, where the two tried to loosely imply that Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis could be implicated in an alleged scandal involving sex trafficking — despite having absolutely no proof.
The segment focused on Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who has been accused of being involved in sex trafficking, allegations that he vehemently denies. Gaetz has also not been charged with any crime.
&#8220;So, the question for Gaetz, because obviously Greenberg has to give somebody bigger than him, that would be Gaetz,&#8221; Reid said. &#8220;Here is at least, per the reporting, the people who were on that Bahamas trip. Notice if you see somebody&#8217;s name that rings a couple of times.&#8221;
&#8220;[You] had at least five women, per Politico, you had Gaetz; you had a guy named Jason Pirozzolo, the hand surgeon and GOP fundraiser to Ron DeSantis, who apparently Gaetz wanted to turn into the attorney general of Florida,&#8221; Reid continued. &#8220;There&#8217;s Halsey Beshears, a former state legislator and former appointed official in the DeSantis administration.&#8221;
&#8220;If you&#8217;re Ron DeSantis, does this feel like it&#8217;s creeping closer to you?&#8221; Reid asked Kirschner. &#8220;Because these are your friends, these are your allies.&#8221;
&#8220;Yeah, just as Greenberg&#8217;s lawyer said about Matt Gaetz when he left the courthouse the other day, he said, you know what, if I were Matt Gaetz, I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;d be all that comfortable right about now,&#8221; Kirschner claimed. &#8220;You have to believe that DeSantis, I mean, these are his boys, these are his guys, right? We&#8217;ve seen the pictures.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve heard the stories. You have to believe that Ron DeSantis, if he has done anything wrong, feels like things are creeping closer and closer to him,&#8221; Kirschner claimed.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Without any evidence, MSNBC&#39;s Joy Reid and Glenn Kirschner insinuate that Ron DeSantis will be implicated in the sex trafficking ring with Congressman Matt Gaetz and Joel Greenberg involving drugs and hookers.
Kirschner: &quot;[T]hings are creeping closer and closer to him. &quot; <a href="https://t.co/kmJbrkhPeS">pic.twitter.com/kmJbrkhPeS</a>
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1382781757464936451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
CBS News&#8217; &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; tried to smear DeSantis with a deceptively edited segment that aired earlier this month. The segment was so disastrous that CBS News had to address issues with their reporting several times the following week after receiving widespread backlash over the segment, including from Democrats.
Related:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-deceptively-edits-reporters-interaction-with-fl-governor-ron-desantis-heres-what-he-really-said">CBS Deceptively Edits Reporter’s Interaction With FL Governor Ron DeSantis. Here’s What He Really Said.</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/publix-democrat-state-official-blast-absolutely-false-and-offensive-cbs-60-minutes-smear-of-desantis">Publix, Democrat State Official Blast ‘Absolutely False And Offensive’ CBS ‘60 Minutes’ Smear Of DeSantis</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cbs-slammed-for-smearing-ron-desantis-on-60-minutes-one-of-the-more-blatant-political-hatchet-jobs">CBS Slammed For Smearing Ron DeSantis On ‘60 Minutes’: ‘One Of The More Blatant Political Hatchet Jobs’</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-hits-cbs-after-they-claim-deceptive-editing-was-for-clarity-heres-what-they-didnt-tell-you">DeSantis Hits CBS After They Claim Deceptive Editing Was ‘For Clarity’: Here’s What They Didn’t Tell You</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-mayor-on-cbs-smearing-ron-desantis-i-explained-everything-to-them-in-45-minute-interview">Democrat Mayor On CBS Smearing Ron DeSantis: I Explained Everything To Them In 45-Minute Interview</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/emails-show-cbs-had-desantis-answers-to-questions-before-segment-aired-ignored-warning-from-democrat">Emails Show CBS Had DeSantis’ Answers To Questions Before Segment Aired, Ignored Warning From Democrat</a></li>
</ul>
This article has been expanded after publication to include additional information.

WILMORE – Season 1

WATCH: MSNBC Tries To Smear Ron DeSantis By Baselessly Wondering If He Could Be Tied To Sex Trafficking Scandal

Joy Reid

Ron DeSantis

On Thursday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said that Representative Matt Gaetz, who is currently under federal investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct, is “innocent until proven guilty.”
According to The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-174d52d81c1c985ad30f10996e4e855e">Associated Press</a>, McCarthy said that Republicans are not planning on punishing Gaetz unless there are charges that are filed against the Republican congressman from Florida.
As reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-ethics-committee-investigating-rep-matt-gaetz">The Daily Wire</a>:
<blockquote>
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/matt-gaetz-investigation.html">reported</a> earlier this month that Gaetz, 38, is facing a Department of Justice investigation into whether he paid for sex and whether he engaged in sex with a 17-year-old girl. The DOJ investigation <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/30/us/politics/matt-gaetz-sex-trafficking-investigation.html">reportedly began last year</a> and “grew out of an open investigation into” Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector “who was indicted last year on a charge of sex trafficking and other counts,” according to The New York Times.
</blockquote>
“Matt Gaetz is the same as any American, he’s innocent until proven guilty,” McCarthy said regarding the allegations made against the 38-year-old congressman. “There’s no charges against him yet. If a charge comes forward, that will be dealt with at that time.”
McCarthy <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_JJG9hVBgI">confirmed</a> that he has spoken with Representative Gaetz, who has told the minority leader that he is innocent. McCarthy also said that he explained the rules of the conference to Gaetz and that they would take action if something were to come out.
<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-174d52d81c1c985ad30f10996e4e855e">The Associated Press</a> reported that McCarthy was asked whether or not Republicans would take action against Gaetz if more details are revealed before charges are made. McCarthy answered, “That’s a hypothetical question. I’ll deal with whatever issue as it comes. As of right now, Matt Gaetz says he is innocent, there’s an investigation going on, and I’ll let the investigation take care of itself.”
Charges have yet to be filed against Gaetz and he has publicly stated that he is innocent. At a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politicians-in-crisis-refuse-to-resign-16046aff55900e97f59aec9aa5153df6">speech</a> on April 9th in Miami, the congressman said, “I have not yet begun to fight … I’m built for the battle and I’m not going anywhere … The smears against me range from distortions of my personal life to wild — and I mean wild — conspiracy theories.”
Gaetz has also claimed that a former Department of Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-gaetz-names-ex-doj-official-he-claims-tried-to-extort-millions-promised-biden-pardon">official tried to extort him</a> and members of his family, which the DOJ official <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-ex-doj-official-on-gaetzs-allegations-distracting-from-apparent-imminent-indictment">has denied and said is a distraction attempt by Gaetz</a>.
Last week, the House Ethics Committee also launched an investigation into the allegations made against the Florida congressman.
In a joint written <a href="https://ethics.house.gov/sites/ethics.house.gov/files/documents/Press%20Release_178.pdf">statement</a>, members of the committee said:
<blockquote>
The Committee is aware of public allegations that Representative Matt Gaetz may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct. The Committee, pursuant to Committee Rule 18(a), has begun an investigation and will gather additional information regarding the allegations. 
The Committee notes that the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee. No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules.
</blockquote>
The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-174d52d81c1c985ad30f10996e4e855e">Associated Press</a> reported that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has said that pulling Gaetz from his committees is “the least that could be done” to punish him if the charges against him prove to be true.

6CA15C9F-B04F-476F-BD8B-FB974239EA50_1_201_a

McCarthy Says Rep. Matt Gaetz Is ‘Innocent Until Proven Guilty’

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