The Matt Gaetz scandal just hit the fan
Thus far the Republican Party has largely just ignored the fact that Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz is under federal criminal investigation for underage sex trafficking. Apart from meek words from Kevin McCarthy, and isolated words of support from turds like Jim Jordan, the GOP has thus far managed to insulate itself from the Gaetz scandal. But no more.
It turns out Matt Gaetz is one of several Republicans scheduled to speak this Friday at a fundraiser at the Trump-owned Doral property in Florida. So now the Republicans have to make the no-win decision. They can either drop Gaetz from the event, which would be seen as a tacit acknowledgement that they think he’s guilty, which would raise questions about why they haven’t removed him from House committees. Or they can keep Gaetz on the bill and speak alongside him, knowing it’ll be used against them if and when he’s indicted.
Worse, the fundraiser event is called “Women For America First” – meaning the optics couldn’t be worse, considering Matt Gaetz stands accused of having had a sexual relationship with an underage girl. The Republicans now have just 72 hours to decide whether to drop Gaetz from the event. Either way, this is hitting the fan for them.
Bill Palmer is the publisher of the political news outlet Palmer Report