Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has been busy in recent days. He filed a bill to allow states to build their own border barriers and not wait on a Biden administration that refuses to enforce immigration law.
He discussed his resolution to exonerate former President Donald Trump for being involved in an “insurrection” on Jan. 6, 2021, a measure that is supported by nearly 70 lawmakers.
And the Fort Walton Beach Republican openly questioned a vague and cryptic threat to America from Russia space nukes as a bid to derail a vote on a controversial intelligence law that the FBI abuses to conduct warrantless searches on Americans.
Against that backdrop, and almost predictably, Gaetz’s critics have revived a sex trafficking claim that he has already been cleared of.
ABC News reported on Friday that the House Ethics Committee issued a subpoena for Gaetz’s former girlfriend to testify as part of its probe into whether Gaetz paid an underage girl for sex. The witness is also supposed to be knowledgeable about Gaetz’s alleged drug use and possible lobbying violations.
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According to ABC News, the woman’s lawyer immediately responded that she would appear to comply with the subpoena but would also invoke her Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate herself with her testimony.
Gaetz accused the committee of driving a witch hunt.
“The Ethics Committee is engaging in payback against me for ousting the person who singularly appointed every Republican – [former GOP House Speaker] Kevin McCarthy,” Gaetz told ABC News in a statement.
“I see through this sham, and the American people will too,” Gaetz added. “Exposing witch hunts is kind of my thing around here.”
As the Tampa Free Press reported last year, anti-Gaetz Republicans allied with McCarthy are eager to expel him on any charges.
Yet, the Biden Justice Department last year dropped its pursuit of Gaetz for the alleged sex trafficking of a minor girl because of a lack of evidence and witnesses who proved to be not credible.
Also in 2023, the Federal Elections Commission, a bipartisan panel, voted unanimously to toss a complaint against Gaetz filed by a disgruntled former GOP challenger who claimed Gaetz wrongfully spent campaign funds on his legal defense in the Justice Department probe.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, including ever having sex with a minor or paying for sex.
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