Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican from Florida, has been involved in a sex trafficking investigation conducted by the Department of Justice.
According to testimony given to the House Select Committee Investigating the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Attack, Gaetz revealed to a Trump administration White House aide that he asked the ex-president for a presidential pardon to protect him from possible fallout from the sex crimes investigation, just in case.
Pardons were being given out left and right and they cost nothing, so why not grab one while the boss is on his way out? Last chance to do it. Even though, he said, he hadn’t done anything wrong, but if Trump “could give him a pardon, that would be great.”
The Washington Post reported Gaetz’ admission on Saturday.
The revelation reported by the Washington Post led to Representative Ted Lieu (Democratic of California), calling for Gaetz’ removal from his position on the Judiciary Committee, due to a “conflict of interest” concern.
“GOP Rep Matt Gaetz is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Lieu tweeted. “He is not entitled to sit on the Judiciary Committee that has oversight over the Department of Justice that is investigating him for sex crimes. A conflict of interest. [House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy] must remove him from the Committee.”
The investigation has been going on for years to unravel the details about Gaetz’ alleged recruitment of women online for sex, including paying an underage girl. Gaetz denies the accusations and has not yet been charged with a crime.
The accusations involve the help of a former Gaetz associate, who was a Seminole County tax collector. He pleaded guilty in 2021 to six crimes, including trafficking an underage girl. The so-called “wingman” has been meeting with federal investigators and turned over photos, videos and copies of online cash transactions. The tax collector was Gaetz’ alleged partner-in-crime.
A former White House aide named Johnny McEntee, testified in Congress that Gaetz said he sought a pardon from Trump’s former Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows.
McEntee said that he recalled Gaetz saying that he didn’t do anything wrong, but they are trying to make his life hell. So why not ask for a pardon? Wouldn’t that solve everything?
The Jan. 6 congressional panel confirmed that Gaetz was among at least five Republican lawmakers who asked for pardons, some of which were for alleged crimes committed during the Capitol attack on January 6.
A spokesperson for Gaetz emphasized that Gaetz didn’t request a pardon directly from Trump, but that he had submitted his request to Mark Meadows.
In defense of Gaetz, the spokesperson said, Gaetz “discussed pardons for many other people publicly and privately at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term,” according to the Huffington Post. He pointed out that President Trump said a year ago that Gaetz never asked him for a pardon. Not directly, anyway.