Murphy also said state officials were investigating whether the event violated the state's COVID-19 regulations. Jan 18, 2022, 10:04 AM. Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican being investigated by the Justice Department over sex trafficking allegations, made a name for himself when he arrived on Capitol Hill as a conservative . [57], In February 2023, Gaetz invited Corey Ryan Beekman to lead the pledge of allegiance at a Judiciary Committee hearing. The ex-girlfriend was in an open relationship with Gaetz in 2017 and 2018 and allegedly discussed other women he was involved with, according to three friends of the former couple. [201][202][203] Gaetz later explained that his vote was due to his small government principles and his belief that existing federal agencies could adequately combat human trafficking. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., cited a letter he received from West Point's superintendent, Lt. Gen. Darryl. [30], When his subcommittee was considering legislation that would keep suspects' mugshots off the Internet until their convictions, Gaetz brought up his 2008 arrest and non-conviction, arguing that his mistakes made him who he is and that publicly available mugshots "could be a problem for those unaccustomed to publicity". [282] Greenberg's sentencing hearing was originally scheduled for August 2021,[283] but due to his cooperation in related investigations, had been repeatedly delayed. Several years ago, I had the chance to pay this brave Green Beret, SFC Martin Acosta, a visit at Walter Reed Hospital after he was severely injured in Afghanistan. [65][66] After sharp criticism from other members of Congress and an implicit rebuke by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,[67][68] Gaetz deleted the tweet and posted a tweet in which he apologized. [101] As a member of the Florida House, he sponsored a bill, eventually signed into law,[102] to expand the state's Right to Try Act to include the medical use of cannabis. '"[197][198] A Texas teenager tweeted a post mocking Gaetz, who responded with a photo of her that, according to NPR, implied his comments had touched a nerve; she used the incident to raise over $2 million for abortion funds. [252][253] The sender was later identified as Florida developer Stephen Alford, who was arrested on August 31. [105], In November 2019, Gaetz was one of only two Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee to vote for the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which among other reforms would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. Mark Hertling, the commander of US forces in Europe and who oversaw the 2007-2008 "surge" in Iraq, challenged Congress Matt Gaetz after he derided a top US general for suggesting that teaching the . Though a financial disclosure form Gaetz filed in 2016 showed a net worth of $388,000, he donated $200,000 of his own money to his congressional campaign. During the event, Rep. Gaetz nominated the following students to the U.S. [222], In 2022, Gaetz voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. Representative Matt Gaetz called out Google for censoring conservative news sites like the Gateway Pundit, Daily Caller, Breitbart, Western Journal and the American Spectator. [52], In 2021, Gaetz and Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene began a nationwide "America First Tour" on May 7, in The Villages, Florida. [35] On March 21, 2016, Gaetz withdrew from the race, choosing instead to run for the U.S. House seat representing Florida's 1st congressional district; the incumbent, Jeff Miller, had announced 11 days earlier that he would not seek reelection.[36]. Gaetz's attorney also claimed that an unnamed witness who knew Gaetz "observed no indication of impairment". Tour Request Flag Request Internship Application Casework Request Military Academies Veterans History Project How the 'revenge porn' bill ended up so flawed", "Weatherford calls for hearings on 'stand your ground', "Matt Gaetz to rally base ahead of Stand Your Ground hearing", "Proposed 'stand your ground' amendment would expunge records", "Matt Gaetz wants to talk about his mug shot, but not his arrest", "Gaetz wasn't always against leadership. [124], In November 2017, Gaetz introduced a congressional resolution calling for Robert Mueller to recuse himself as special counsel because of what were said to be conflicts of interest. 1158) which effectively prohibits ICE from cooperating with Health and Human Services to detain or remove illegal alien sponsors of unaccompanied alien children (UACs). In several commercials during his 2016 congressional campaign, Gaetz promised to "kill Muslim terrorists and build the wall". The 'Green Real Deal' is a resolution intended to serve as a response . He was seen posing for photos in a crowd of unmasked attendees, prompting New Jersey governor Phil Murphy and Jersey City mayor Steven Fulop to publicly condemn him. "[214][215], On June 23, 2021, Gaetz tweeted that the FBI should be defunded while it is investigating him for alleged sex trafficking and having sex with a minor. [28] Gaetz, the chairman of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, was tasked with reviewing the legislation; he announced before hearings that he would not support changing "one damn comma", but said he would listen to both sides' testimony. It gets you to think for yourself where you don't just surrender to the truth that they're trying to create in corrupt big media. [159], In 2019, Gaetz introduced the bipartisan Super Pollutants Act, which aimed to slow climate change by regulating greenhouses gases, especially black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons, and methane. He told reporters that, since his committee oversees impeachment, he should have been allowed to be part of depositions related to the Trump impeachment inquiry. Gaetz said that Carlson "is CORRECT about Replacement Theory as he explains what is happening to America. The G.O.P.'s Matt Gaetz Problem. Meet Ginger Luckey, a 26-year-old Harvard business student and the congressman's 'travel buddy', "Matt Gaetz, Republican in sex-trafficking investigation, marries in California", United States representatives by seniority, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida, Current members of the United States House of Representatives, List of acts of the 118th United States Congress, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matt_Gaetz&oldid=1140651570, Far-right politicians in the United States, Republican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives, Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 02:41. "[134], In October 2019, Gaetz organized a "storming" of a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility on Capitol Hill by about two dozen Republican congressmen, including House minority whip Steve Scalise, in an effort to sit in on and hear the deposition of a Pentagon official during the impeachment inquiry against Trump. Feb 24. [228][248] This allegedly began on March 16, with a text message to his father demanding money in exchange for making sex trafficking allegations "go away". "[133], During Mueller's testimony to two congressional committees on July 24, 2019, Gaetz told him, "if Russians were lying to Christopher Steele to undermine our confidence in our newly elected president, that would be precisely in your purview because you stated in your opening that the organizing principle was to fully and thoroughly investigate Russian interference. [244][245] In late 2020, Greenberg apparently attempted to secure a pardon from the Trump administration via a confession letter (first reported by The Daily Beast in April 2021), writing that he and Gaetz had had sex with a 17-year-old girl they believed was 19, and that payments had been made on behalf of Gaetz to her and other women in exchange for sex. He said that Trump should release his tax returns, but stopped short of saying Congress should subpoena them. Police recorded him driving 48mph (77km/h) in a 35mph (56km/h) zone and noted that he showed physical signs of intoxication. June 23, 2021 at 03:13 PM ET. Now he's attacking the accusers", "Representative Jim Jordan returns to Washington as scrutiny over alleged sexual abuse at Ohio State intensifies", "GOP lawmaker: Accusations against Jim Jordan come from 'deep state', "Tapper presses lawmaker: Who is the deep state? Both are Republicans from Florida. They're slated to be at CPAC", "First on CNN: Watchdog group requests investigation into 13 GOP lawmakers for misusing proxy voting", "Column: GOP ratchets up the hypocrisy in opposing Biden's student debt plan", "Florida politicians and Democratic Party got loans through PPP", In House Speaker Fight, Trump Struggles to Play Kingmaker, Gaetz says he's talked to Trump about making him House speaker, Another day, similar result: Adjournment with no speaker, "Trump Says Democrats Hate His Budget But Some Republicans Don't Like It Much Either", "President Trump takes a break from his European visit to endorse Rep. Matt Gaetz", "The most conservative congressmen are going all-out to fight for Trump against Mueller and the Russia probe", "Rep. Matt Gaetz Admits To Absurd GOP Priority If They Win Back House", "Matt Gaetz proposes to reschedule marijuana", "Representatives Matt Gaetz and Donna Shalala Introduce the Expanding Cannabis Research and Information Act", "Legislation Introduced To End The Federal Government's Marijuana Production Monopoly", "GOP Congressman Refiles Marijuana Research Bill With Important Changes", "Trump ally Matt Gaetz makes a push for medical marijuana", "Scott Signs Medical Marijuana Bill for Terminally Ill, Enabling Experimental Drugs", "Florida Legislature tackling the three Gs: God, gays and guns", "Lawmaker wants terminally ill to have access to medical marijuana", "Matt Gaetz to speak at medical marijuana doctors conference with Trump associate Roger Stone", "Marijuana Legalization Bill Approved By Congressional Committee In Historic Vote", "House Panel Approves First Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana at Federal Level", "Congressman Gaetz Speaks at Press Conference Introducing STATES Act, Calls for Hearing in Judiciary Committee", "GOP Congressman Talks To Trump About Marijuana And Slams 'Stupid' Anti-Cannabis Republican Colleagues", "One Republican congressman's plan to deal with town hall disrupters", "At town hall, conservative lawmaker calls on Trump to release tax returns", "Under fire, GOP congressman calls for Trump tax returns", "Gaetz meets with protesters during Santa Rosa County town hall tour", "Trump's Best Buddy in Congress Wants Sessions to Fire Mueller", "After the fall of Trump, Matt Gaetz matters more than ever", "Matt Gaetz joins Republican lawmakers in nominating Trump for Nobel Peace Prize", "Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz actually nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize", "GOP member of Judiciary Committee not allowed in Fiona Hill deposition", "Matt Gaetz, Loyal for Years to Trump, Is Said to Have Sought a Blanket Pardon", "Matt Gaetz sought a preemptive pardon from Trump, but the request was never seriously considered", "Trump claims Gaetz 'never asked me for a pardon', "Trump reportedly had to be talked out of defending Matt Gaetz because the allegations against him were so serious", "Republicans just introduced a resolution to remove Mueller from the Trump-Russia investigation", Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a special counsel should be appointed by the Attorney General or his designee to investigate misconduct by Lynch and former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director, "Conservative Republicans demand Mueller recuse himself over uranium deal", "The conservative case to fire Robert Mueller, explained", "GOP lawmaker calls for Mueller recusal over uranium deal", "Jim Jordan is accused of turning a blind eye to Ohio State sexual abuse. In 2019, Gaetz was one of 60 representatives to vote against condemning Trump's withdrawal from Syria. By. Getty. [161], In June 2021, Gaetz was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.[162][163]. Things to know about congressman accused of threatening Michael Cohen", "Member Profile Matthew Louis Gaetz II", "GOP lawmaker Don Gaetz is rising fast as a state Senate leader", "Law School Alums Looking To Distance Themselves As Much As Humanly Possible From Matt Gaetz", "How Matt Gaetz used daddy's money to become Trump's favorite congressman", "Matt Gaetz labelled 'delinquent' for failing to pay Florida bar association fees", "Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom resigns", "April 13, 2010 Special General Congressional 19 & House 4", "Florida House approves speeding up executions", "Ethanol Fuels To Evaporate Under House Bill", "Florida Congressman Drafts Bill To 'Completely Abolish' The EPA", "Rick Scott Signs Ethanol Bill Repealing Required Percentage Statute", "Act of revenge? Democrats held 212 votes, with one seat unfilled due to the November death of a holdover incumbent. [228] Also on March 30, he tweeted that he and his family were "victims of an organized criminal extortion involving a former DOJ official seeking $25 million". The district includes portions of Walton County and all of Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties. A political ally of U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz who in May pleaded guilty to child sex-trafficking and wire fraud won a three-month delay to his sentencing because he is still cooperating with . Pedophile Matt Gaetz accused Four Star General Mark Milley, Green Beret and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs under both Trump and Biden of being "woke." General Milley put frat boy Gaetz in his place. [174] In lobbying for the bill, he said that the open carry of weapons was a right "granted not by government but by God. [15], Gaetz was unopposed for a full term in 2010. Milley, who attended Princeton University for his undergraduate degree and Columbia University graduate school, then took aim at others on the dais, including Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, also a . [25][156], In November 2017, Gaetz joined the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus. He is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. In addition to denying the allegations about his relationship with a 17-year-old girl, Gaetz denied a previously unreported claim that he had been photographed "with child prostitutes", and said that a friend of his (whom Carlson had supposedly met) had been urged by the FBI to claim Gaetz was "involved in some pay-for-play scheme". Gaetz went on to outline a former Google employee who reported that Google was indeed targeting conservative media and those who support President Trump. [235] By April 2, the Justice Department was examining whether Gaetz asked women to recruit others for sex. [267] The next day, his communications director, Luke Ball, and his legislative director, Devin Murphy, resigned. In 2021, he called the Anti-Defamation League a "racist organization" after it condemned Tucker Carlson's promotion of Great Replacement theory. [85][86], In the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans regained a narrow House majority. Lawmakers Put 'People in Jeopardy' After Jan. 6", "Matt Gaetz Calls Arizona Audit 'Launchpad' for Audits Across America, Says Georgia's Next", "Did Matt Gaetz Call for Use of 'Second Amendment' Against Silicon Valley? As a result, Gaetz was placed under self-quarantine for 14 days. Watch: Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz Get Heckled off the Stage While Defending Capitol Rioters. Matthew Louis Gaetz II was born on May 7, 1982, in Hollywood, Florida, to Victoria (ne Quertermous) and Don Gaetz, who later became a prominent local politician. [243], Gaetz had argued in a November 2020 Fox News appearance that Trump "should pardon Michael Flynn [and] everyone from himself to his administration officials to Joe Exotic". ", "Fear distracts, divides and dehumanizes us. Gaetz, who represents a large swath of Florida's panhandle, has tried to distance himself from Greenberg, despite an avalanche of evidence that the pair were close. [254][255], Gaetz said his attorneys contacted the FBI, which he said informed them that Gaetz was a subject, not a target, of an investigation. [107] Gaetz has introduced the STATES Act to prevent federal interference in states that have legalized cannabis for medical or recreational purposes. Beattie had previously been fired as a speechwriter for the Trump administration after attending a conference associated with white nationalists. [151] He acknowledged that the bill's pass-through tax deduction would benefit Trump, but added, "so many Americans benefit when commercial real estate becomes easier and more accessible. Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz are both members of the United States House of Representatives. Sources describing Gaetz as "far-right" include: Some sources state that Gaetz is "close to" the caucus, e.g. Adds Two Top Prosecutors to Matt Gaetz Case", "Judge Approves Plea Deal, Sets Sentencing Date for Matt Gaetz Associate in Child Sex Trafficking Case", "Gaetz 'wingman' granted another sentencing delay", "Gaetz ally Joel Greenberg is giving investigators new information, prosecutors say", "Representative Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend granted immunity in sex trafficking probe", "Exclusive: Attorney for Gaetz's ex-girlfriend says prosecutors didn't have credible evidence to charge", "Matt Gaetz's ex-girlfriend testifies to grand jury in sex trafficking probe", "Witness Can Confirm Matt Gaetz Was Told He Had Sex With a Minor", "Florida radio host cooperates in federal investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz, attorney tells CNN", "A witness corroborated the claim that Rep. Matt Gaetz was told in 2017 he'd had sex with a minor, report says", Former Gaetz Confidant Is Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison, "Matt Gaetz describes himself as 'single step-parent' to Nestor Galban", "Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz reveals he lives with a 19-year-old Cuban immigrant whom he calls his son", "Republican Matt Gaetz and son, Nestor, appear together on Fox News", "Rep. Matt Gaetz reveals adopted 19-year-old Cuban son Nestor on Twitter", "Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz is engaged to Ginger Luckey", "Who is Rep. Matt Gaetz's fiance? Day, his communications director, Luke Ball, and Santa Rosa counties to..., Lt. Gen. Darryl the Stage While Defending Capitol Rioters that Google indeed... State 's COVID-19 regulations 2016 congressional campaign, Gaetz joined the bipartisan Solutions... Gaetz Get Heckled off the Stage While Defending Capitol Rioters the November death of a holdover incumbent and legislative... 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