Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.Photo:Drew Angerer/Getty
Drew Angerer/Getty
House Republicans are mulling an expulsion of Florida Rep.Matt Gaetz, a controversial lawmaker at the center of a House Ethics probe reportedly focusing on sexual misconduct and other allegations.
“No one can stand him at this point. A smart guy without morals,” one lawmaker toldFox Newsof Gaetz.
The outlet reports that House GOP members are preparing a motion to expel the lawmaker, just as the Republican firebrand has been publicly threatening to initiate a recall vote against House SpeakerKevin McCarthy.
While expelling Gaetz would boot him from Congress altogether, a successful recall of McCarthy would only strip the speaker of his leadership role.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.AP/Shutterstock
Speaking onCNN’sState of the Unionon Sunday, Gaetz said, “the one thing everybody has in common is that nobody trusts Kevin McCarthy,” adding that he planned “to file a ‘motion to vacate’ against Speaker McCarthy this week.”
The move to oust McCarthy would mark the first formal attempt to remove a House speaker in 113 years. It would require only a simple majority in the House, effectively putting McCarthy’s fate as the top House leader in the hands of Democrats.
A motion to expel Gaetz, meanwhile, would require a two-thirds majority vote, meaning a large portion of Democrats and Republicans alike would need to support his dismissal.
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty
Gaetz was in recent years the focus of a Department of Justice probe into allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid her to travel with him. Ultimately, investigators recommended not moving forward with trafficking charges against the lawmaker.
News of the investigation into the Florida lawmaker first broke in March 2021. According toTheNew York Times, it was opened in the final months of the Trump administration under then-Attorney GeneralBill Barr.
Gaetz denied any wrongdoing, previously insisting to multiple news outlets that the overarching case was “rooted in an extortion effort” against him.
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While the investigation did not result in any charges, in June,Punchbowl News reportedthat the House Ethics Committee had quietly reopened its own probe into the Republican, citing sources familiar with the investigation.
Gaetz, who assumed office in 2017 and has since become a staunch ally of former PresidentDonald Trump, was reelected to the House in 2022. He is also rumored to beconsidering a run for Florida governorin 2026.
source: people.com
