by Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Northwest Florida U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz to change into lawyer basic is producing intense opposition, but it surely’s not simply from Democrats in Washington.
Shortly after information broke Wednesday afternoon that Trump had nominated him, Gaetz stepped down from his seat representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District. His resignation got here simply days earlier than earlier than the Home Ethics Committee was poised to vote on releasing a “highly damaging” report outlining its investigation of Gaetz, in response to a report from Punchbowl Information.
Mat Staver, founder and chairman of the Christian authorized ministry Liberty Counsel in Orlando, fired off a blistering takedown the congressman on Thursday in an announcement titled, “Matt Gaetz is not qualified to be U.S. Attorney General.”
“President-elect Donald Trump has quickly named many good choices to serve in his cabinet. But Matt Gaetz is not one of them,” Staver wrote.
“The nomination of Matt Gaetz as Legal professional Normal is surprising and disappointing to those that have adopted this man and the lurid scandals and critical allegations of intercourse events and medicines throughout his tenure within the U.S. Congress. The resignation of Gaetz instantly after his title surfaced for Legal professional Normal is inexplicable aside from the actual fact this resignation now ends the U.S. Home Ethics probe.
“Obviously, Gaetz does not want America to know the result of the Ethics investigation. Matt Gaetz has neither the experience nor the moral character to serve as the highest law enforcement officer of the United States of America. Gaetz should do President Trump and all of America a favor and withdraw his name from consideration. This will save him considerable embarrassment. America deserves better.”
Staver, an lawyer who argued towards inserting the abortion-rights Modification 4 on the poll in entrance of the state Supreme Courtroom final 12 months, famous that Gaetz had fewer than three years of authorized expertise at a regulation agency in Fort Walton Seaside earlier than he started his political profession within the Florida Home of Representatives in 2010.
In an announcement accompanying his written remarks, Staver references the a number of allegations of Gaetz indulging in intercourse and medicines (the Home Ethics investigation concerned allegations that he had intercourse with a minor).
Intercourse and medicines
“Numerous news articles have catalogued the serious allegations involving Gaetz, including using Venmo to pay women for sex, text messages, attending sex parties, and paying a minor for sex,” reads the assertion.
“Witnesses have testified that they have seen Gaetz at these sex parties taking drugs. And his close association with former Seminole Country Tax Collector, Joel Greenburg, adds to these serious allegations. Greenburg is now serving time in prison for using his position for illegal gain and arranging sex parties for his friends, including Gaetz.”
In the meantime, John Clune, the lawyer for the younger girl with whom Gaetz is alleged to have had intercourse with when she was a minor, is now calling on the Home Ethics Committee to launch its report.
“Mr. Gaetz’s likely nomination as Attorney General is a perverse development in a truly dark series of events,” Clune mentioned on X. “We would support the House Ethics Committee immediately releasing their report. She was a high school student and there were witnesses.”
Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who sits on the Judiciary and Intelligence committees, has additionally known as for launch of the ethic report. “I don’t want there to be any limitation at all on what the Senate could consider,” he mentioned.
Florida Phoenix is a part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit information community supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: information@floridaphoenix.com. Observe Florida Phoenix on Fb and X.
