Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz was nominated by President Donald Trump for the position of attorney general, leading to some discussion. Observers noted that the House Ethics Committee had conducted an investigation into allegations of misconduct. However, the Committee stated on Wednesday that it was opting not to publicly release its report.
The probe carried out by the Committee centered on whether Gaetz had acted improperly, encompassing queries into rumored sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, acceptance of inappropriate gifts, and alleged attempts to hinder official government investigations. Gaetz was steadfast in his denial of all these allegations.
The speculations around Gaetz led him to withdraw from his bid to the attorney general post. Critics suggested his nomination withdrawal might have been influenced by the controversy, although no concrete evidence to substantiate this claim was provided.
Speculations ratcheted up when a Democratic strategist made a suggestive comment about Gaetz. The strategist, Adam Parkhomenko, hinted at a possible attempt by Gaetz to secure a presidential pardon from President Trump. Such insinuations were based on a former investigation by the Justice Department, which has since been closed.
Parkhomenko’s allegations were reportedly based on the statements made by Trump aide, John McEntee. According to the strategist, McEntee testified before the January 6 House committee in 2022 that Gaetz had approached him to discuss a potential pardon from President Trump. The pardon was said to be in connection with the Justice Department’s old investigation involving allegations of ‘child trafficking’.
However, this was strongly refuted by McEntee in his statement. He did not confirm the accuracy of the allegations against Gaetz, leaving room for interpretation. These uncorroborated stories raised questions about the validity of the claims.
Gaetz’s spokesperson came forward to discuss the matter, declaring that the Congressman had spoken about pardons for several other individuals, both in public and in private, towards the end of President Trump’s first term. Regarding Gaetz himself, it was clarified that President Trump had addressed this issue over a year ago, dismissing it as an unfounded rumor.
President Trump had clearly stated, ‘Congressman Matt Gaetz has never asked me for a pardon.’ This official declaration from the President firmly rebutted the rumors. Gaetz too, fervently stood by President Trump’s statement, dismissing the allegations as purely speculative in nature.
In December 2022, the January 6 House Select Committee released some interview transcripts from John McEntee. These transcripts showed that McEntee spoke regarding a request for pardon from Gaetz days before Trump left the White House which was related to a sex trafficking probe.
The accounts by McEntee detailed how Gaetz had broached the topic of seeking a presidential pardon, initiated through then White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Gaetz maintained throughout the conversation that he was innocent, expressing concerns about unfair attempts to tarnish his reputation.
The public first became aware of the Justice Department’s investigation in 2021. It was unveiled that they were analyzing if Gaetz had cultivated an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old, a violation of federal sex-trafficking laws. However, regardless of the allegations, Gaetz remained steadfast, denying all wrongdoing.
The investigation was initially sparked due to an inquiry into Joel Greenberg, a close associate of Gaetz, for multiple felonies including sex trafficking, wire fraud, and conspiracy. This led to a two-year long investigation against Gaetz which nonetheless ended with no charges being filed.
In September 2022, after lengthy investigations, the prosecutors recommended closing the case against Gaetz without any charges, validating his firm denial of any wrongdoing. The investigation was officially closed in February 2023, solidifying Gaetz’s resistant defense.
John McEntee’s account was also presented to the January 6 House Committee where he indicated Gaetz had sought a Trump pardon concerning alleged ‘child trafficking’ accusations, but highlighted Gaetz’s insistence of his innocence. Gaetz maintained his stance of not having committed any wrongdoing throughout the entire ordeal.
Despite the House Ethics Committee’s inquiry into these allegations, they declined to publicly release their report. Gaetz continued to vehemently deny all allegations, standing firm in his confidence in President Trump’s statement that he never sought a pardon, further dismissing these as unfounded rumors.