Rep. Hardline Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) won a victory lap Thursday after it was revealed that an ethics complaint against him had been unanimously dismissed last month.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has received allegations that the 41-year-old congressman’s campaign has improperly billed for approximately $200,000 in legal fees between November 2020 and October 2021.
At the time, Gaetz was involved in a Justice Department investigation into alleged sex trafficking that ended in February without charges against the lawmaker.
FEC filings show that the commission closed the ethics case against Gaetz Aug. 8, concluding unanimously that there was no evidence he had improperly “converted campaign funds to personal use.”
“Freed. one more time. Vote 5-0,” Gaetz exclaimed on X, formerly Twitter, after the filing was first reported by Politico.
Gaetz’s crowing about the so-called “liberation” comes amid his latest high-profile spat with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
On Tuesday, when the House returned to session after a six-week recess, Gaetz threatened to file a motion to vacate the seat, which under current House rules requires only one member’s recommendation to receive a vote.
McCarthy, who initially released “Matt’s Matt” in response to the challenge, insinuated that the Florida congressman’s crusade against him was fueled by the speaker’s refusal to intervene in a separate House ethics investigation.
Matt Gaetz voted ‘present’ in January to help Kevin McCarthy grab the speaker’s gavel.REUTERS
Kevin McCarthy has been more blunt about his feelings for the Florida congressman.Getty Images
So far, few of Matt Gaetz’s like-minded peers seem eager to follow his lead in a motion to vacate — at least not publicly.AP
“Matt is disappointed with the ethics complaint. I don’t care what they threaten me with. I will not go into an independent committee like Ethics,” McCarthy told reporters.
Gaetz, in response, disputed McCarthy’s innuendo.
“It’s about term limits, balanced budget amendments and single-subject spending bills, as I’ve been saying all year,” the Floridian told MSNBC Wednesday.
“I am the most investigated person in the entire Congress. And there you see Kevin McCarthy there lying like a dead dog, because I never asked him to intervene in any ethical matter,” he added.
Earlier this year, during a 15-vote marathon to determine who would hold the speaker’s gavel, McCarthy agreed to lower the threshold for a motion to vacate to one vote, seen as a staunch supporter of the GOP caucus.
The congressman has caused a political headache for the speaker as he tackles various pressing issues. CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
Opposed McCarthy dared to remove him during a closed-door meeting Thursday morning, according to Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), who was present.
“‘If you want to file a motion to vacate, then file a motion af–king,'” McCarthy (R-Calif.), 58, told his conference, according to Mast.
McCarthy is grappling with a turbulent caucus as he tries to steer his party through the appropriations process.
Congress has until September 30 to pass a funding bill that prevents a partial government shutdown.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
