Gaetz Considering Leaving Congress For Role At Newsmax: Report

[Shabibilicious]

No. 2 House Republican says GOP would act against Gaetz

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Congress Gaetz

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., attends a House Judiciary committee hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, April 14, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

 

ALAN FRAM

Wed, April 14, 2021, 12:12 AM

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The No. 2 House Republican leader said Wednesday that party leaders would “take action" against Rep. Matt Gaetz if the Justice Department formally moves against the Florida lawmaker, who is under federal investigation for alleged sex trafficking.

The remarks by Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana made him the latest congressional Republicans to opt against springing to the defense of the three-term lawmaker from Florida's panhandle. Federal investigators are probing Gaetz over allegations that include sex with a minor, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they could not discuss details publicly.

Scalise said in recent years, party leaders have removed Republican lawmakers facing serious charges from their committee assignments. That was essentially a restatement of the House GOP's internal rules, which require lawmakers to resign from committees if they are indicted for felonies with penalties of at least two years in prison.

“If something really formal happened from Justice, we would of course react and take action," Scalise told reporters.

 

A frequent face on conservative television networks and an ardent ally of former President Donald Trump, Gaetz has broadly denied the accusations and not been charged with any crimes. He serves on the Armed Services and Judiciary committees, and critics have said he should immediately be removed from the Judiciary panel because it oversees the Justice Department.

Scalise did not directly answer questions about whether he has confidence in Gaetz. Scalise said he's not discussed the allegations with Gaetz but expected to meet with him this week.

“It's serious things alleged. Obviously we want to get the facts," Scalise said.

Gaetz did not attend a weekly closed-door meeting of House Republicans on Wednesday, Scalise said. But he did appear at Judiciary and Armed Services committee hearings and appeared relaxed.

At Judiciary, several conservative lawmakers chatted amiably with him, including Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the ranking member, and Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who leads the hard-right House Freedom Caucus.

Asked for comment Tuesday after returning to Washington for a vote after Congress' two-week Easter recess, Gaetz referred reporters to a column he wrote last week saying he had not paid for sex and accusing his critics of being corrupt.

Florida's two Republican senators have also steered clear of voicing support for Gaetz. Most Republicans have taken neutral stances or said nothing about the three-term House lawmaker.

“Sure, and I don’t think anyone’s saying they’re not," Sen. Marco Rubio said Tuesday when a reporter suggested the allegations are serious. “And he’s pretty firm in his denial, so we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out."

On Monday, Sen. Rick Scott said Gaetz faces “pretty serious allegations” but didn’t say what should happen to him. “I think we’ve got to get all the facts,” Scott said.

Both senators are considered potential 2024 presidential hopefuls.

Few GOP lawmakers have voiced support for Gaetz, who has said he will not resign. Trump issued a brief statement last week that said Gaetz “has totally denied the accusations against him.”

Gaetz is also the focus of a bipartisan investigation by the House Ethics Committee of accusations including sexual misconduct, illegal drug use, spending campaign funds for personal use and accepting a bribe or impermissible gift. The committee has provided no additional detail.

Gaetz, 38, became engaged on New Year’s Eve at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago compound in Florida.

On Sunday, No. 3 House GOP leader Liz Cheney of Wyoming called the accusations against Gaetz “sickening" but didn't suggest he should resign. Gaetz has called for Cheney's defeat after she was among 10 House Republicans to vote for Trump's House impeachment in January.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois last week became the first GOP member of Congress to say Gaetz should surrender his House seat, tweeting, “Matt Gaetz needs to resign.” Kinzinger, a frequent Trump critic, also voted to impeach Trump in January on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Gaetz and other Florida Republicans and political allies are being examined as part of a broad public corruption inquiry by federal investigators that began months ago, people familiar with the probe have said.

Prosecutors are said to be examining whether Gaetz and Joel Greenberg, a former county tax official, paid underage girls or offered them gifts in exchange for sex.

One person said investigators were looking at trips Gaetz and other men took and whether women were paid or received gifts to have sex with them or later received government jobs.

It was also revealed in a Florida court last week that Greenberg was working toward a plea deal, which might mean he would provide prosecutors with information about the congressman. Greenburg pleaded not guilty to charges including child sex trafficking and fraud

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fla-senators-too-soon-weigh-041205733.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[MyLadiesDaddy]

3 hours ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

 

Note to self:  Whilst proclaiming another "to" stupid, it's always best to use the proper spelling of "too"....I'm not the spelling police....simply responding to your response to my post.  

 

GO RV, then BV

 

I don't sit at home collecting a welfare check and I don't sit in an NSA office pretending to be something I'm not. I am a trucker who post on the go. Thus I must ask you to forgive my error, which doesn't take away from the FACT that  Liz is a sexual deviant herself. 

[Markinsa]

[Shabibilicious]

13 hours ago, ladyGrace'sDaddy said:

I don't sit at home collecting a welfare check and I don't sit in an NSA office pretending to be something I'm not. I am a trucker who post on the go. Thus I must ask you to forgive my error, which doesn't take away from the FACT that  Liz is a sexual deviant herself. 

 

What is the purpose of the first sentence in your post?  Why would you even say something like that unless you are inferring I'm one of those two things?  And careful behind the wheel, texting/posting and driving is dangerous...and in most states, illegal.  

 

GO RV, then BV

[MyLadiesDaddy]

4 hours ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

What is the purpose of the first sentence in your post?  Why would you even say something like that unless you are inferring I'm one of those two things?  And careful behind the wheel, texting/posting and driving is dangerous...and in most states, illegal.  

 

GO RV, then BV

 Got a conscience or what 

And if you notice I only post at certain times of the day. Like LUNCHTIME and BREAKS. 

There's a camera in my truck looking forward at traffic and backwards watching me. So pretty much stops any and all messing with a cell phone while driving. The camera is equipped with facial recognition and can tell if someone is using the phone. 

[Shabibilicious]

6 minutes ago, ladyGrace'sDaddy said:

 Got a conscience or what 

 

 

Ahh....so you did say it to illicit a response.....I guess this is the part where I'm supposed repay the favor and say......sure you're a truck driver.  

 

GO RV, then BV

[MyLadiesDaddy]

3 minutes ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

Ahh....so you did say it to illicit a response.....I guess this is the part where I'm supposed repay the favor and say......sure you're a truck driver.  

 

GO RV, then BV

EXCUSE ME   I'm a Commodities Relocation Specialist, thank you very much  

 

[Shabibilicious]

1 minute ago, ladyGrace'sDaddy said:

EXCUSE ME   I'm a Commodities Relocation Specialist, thank you very much  

 

 

CSR LGD....has quite a ring to it?  

 

GO RV, then BV

[MyLadiesDaddy]

1 minute ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

CSR LGD....has quite a ring to it?  

 

GO RV, then BV

[Shabibilicious]

Matt Gaetz Sidesteps CNN Report of Drug-Filled Parties by Accusing Network of ‘Propaganda’

 

Lindsey Ellefson

Wed, April 14, 2021, 3:13 PM

 

 

Embattled Florida Republican representative Matt Gaetz is lashing out at CNN as the network reports two women have come forward to say they attended boozy parties with him and a “who’s who” of local Republican leaders.

CNN reported Wednesday that according to the two women, drugs and alcohol were abundant and party attendees were asked not to document any part of the events, at which, at least sometimes, CNN says, “money would change hands.” The network reviewed receipts from Gaetz and associate Joel Greenberg from 2018 and 2019.

One woman told CNN she believed Gaetz himself used recreational drugs.

 

Beginning Tuesday, Gaetz lashed out at CNN, calling the network “propaganda” and citing a new undercover tape from right-wing outfit Project Veritas that shows a CNN employee seemingly discussing his impression of his employer’s agenda-setting power.

In the video, the CNN employee says, “If the agenda say, is to like get, like Matt Gaetz right now — he’s like this Republican — he’s a problem for the Democratic party because he’s so conservative and he can cause a lot of hiccups in passing of laws and whatnot…”

Gaetz tweeted that segment and criticized another CNN reporter for covering the allegations of misconduct against him after the clip came out.

 

The New York Times reported last month that the Justice Department is investigating whether Gaetz, 38, violated federal sex trafficking laws by having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paying for her to travel over state lines. According to the Times, the investigation was opened under Attorney General William Barr in the final months of Donald Trump’s presidency. It’s part of a larger investigation into Greenberg, a former Florida county tax collector indicted last summer on multiple federal charges, including for the sex trafficking of a minor. Greenberg has pleaded not guilty.

Gaetz has denied wrongdoing and vowed not to resign.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/matt-gaetz-sidesteps-cnn-report-191319959.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[Karsten]

here's a little more on the Outstanding Job CNN is Doing at Creating Propaganda to further Destroy the Country and Anyone that Stands in Way of Their Leftist Agenda.

 

 

What is CNN going to blow up next.....The Climate Change Narrative?

 

Karsten

Karsten

[Shabibilicious]

Matt Gaetz's girlfriend was reportedly paid $6,500 by Joel Greenberg, alleged sex ring leader

Peter Weber

Thu, April 15, 2021, 7:54 AM

 

 

Joel Greenberg, the former tax collector for Florida's Seminole County and accused sex trafficker who is reportedly cooperating with a federal investigation of his friend Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), made at least 150 Venmo payments to young women, including a 17-year-old, The Daily Beast reports, citing several documents detailing years of online financial transactions. Greenberg is the linchpin of an alleged sex ring, and "according to three people with knowledge of the relationship, Gaetz was among the men who tapped Greenberg to access a large network of young women."

The Venmo payments, in installments of $300 to $1,000 or more, were typically labeled as being for "food" or "school," though Greenberg also wrote "ice cream," "salad," "stuff," and "ass" in some transactions, or just use emojis like the lipstick kiss, The Daily Beast reports. The documents show only one new Venmo payment from Gaetz to Greenberg, "for $300 on November 1, 2018, with the love hotel emoji in the memo field."

But the documents also show Greenberg in 2017 making at least 16 Venmo payments totaling nearly $5,000 to a woman who would go on to date Gaetz (not his current fiancée), plus another $1,500 via Cash App over two days in April 2017, The Daily Beast reports. "That woman — who came to Washington, D.C., as an intern in January 2018 — has said she dated Gaetz during and after her senior year in college. Federal investigators seized Gaetz's phone in December 2020, and they took his ex-girlfriend's device shortly after."

 

Gaetz has denied paying for sex or having sex with a 17-year-old, and the one payment he Venmo'd to Greenberg tied to the the underage girl was after she turned 18, The Daily Beast reports. That woman has recently changed all her identifying information on Venmo and apparently defriended Gaetz and two other women Greenberg paid, The Daily Beast says, and Gaetz has lost at least seven Venmo friends in the past week, since the news organization started reporting on the payments.

 

https://news.yahoo.com/matt-gaetzs-girlfriend-reportedly-paid-115400754.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[Shabibilicious]

Kevin McCarthy says Matt Gaetz is 'the same as any American. He's innocent until proven guilty.'

Catherine Garcia

Thu, April 15, 2021, 7:28 PM

 

 

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters on Thursday he has spoken with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) about the "accusations" against him involving sex trafficking of a minor, and Gaetz has professed his innocence.

The Department of Justice is investigating whether Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her to travel out of state with him. McCarthy said that during their private meeting, he "explained to Mr. Gaetz the rules inside our conference. If there was something to come forward, we would take action." Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the No. 2 House Republican leader, made a similar statement Wednesday, saying if "something really formal" happens with the Justice Department investigation, GOP leadership will "of course react and take action."

Gaetz sits on the House Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of the Justice Department. A reporter asked if Gaetz would keep his seat amid the investigation, and McCarthy responded that the congressman is "the same as any American. He's innocent until proven guilty. There's no charges against him yet. If a charge comes forward, that will be dealt with at that time."

 

McCarthy was also questioned about a CNN report that said in 2017, staffers from the office of former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) spoke to Gaetz about his conduct and how he needed to act professionally while in the Capitol. McCarthy was House majority leader at the time, and said he wasn't part of this discussion or aware it took place. "If you're wondering if I knew anything about what's being alleged now, no," he added.

 

https://news.yahoo.com/kevin-mccarthy-says-matt-gaetz-232818180.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[Shabibilicious]

How a music teacher falsely accused of pedophilia sparked the Matt Gaetz investigation

Peter Weber

Fri, April 16, 2021, 4:28 AM

 

Joel Greenberg, 36, and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), 38, became friends soon after Greenberg was elected Seminole County tax collector and Gaetz won a seat in Congress in 2016. Both men were "brash politicians who hailed from families of considerable wealth and who themselves rose to power quickly," and "they also enjoyed parties and the company of women," The Washington Post reports, citing people who know both Gaetz and Greenberg. That latter interest — woman and parties — is also why both men are under federal investigation.

Before the feds got involved in late 2019 or early 2020, Greenberg had already been on the radar of local law enforcement — for, among other things, allegedly misusing public funds, handing lucrative and unnecessary contracts and state jobs to friends and allies, and impersonating a police officer, pulling over a woman for speeding using a badge and lights on his private vehicle.

But local police did not start investigating Greenberg until, according the a federal indictment, he tried to derail a GOP primary challenger, prep school music teacher Brian Beute, by sending his school a fraudulent note claiming Beute had carried on an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student. Beute roped in a lawyer acquaintance, David Bear, who convinced the sheriff's office that whoever was behind the smear campaign had committed a crime. Bear also successfully encouraged the sheriff's office to seek help from the feds, the Post reports.

 

"When authorities arrested Greenberg and sifted through his electronic records and devices — according to documents and people involved in the case — they discovered a medley of other alleged wrongdoing, leading them to open an investigation of possible sex trafficking involving a far more high-profile Florida Republican," Gaetz, the Post reports. Beute thought about dropping the matter after local investigators cleared him of having sex with a student, but "he decided not to," Bear told the Post. "All of these other things mushroomed out of that one decision for him to stand tall."

Greenberg, facing 33 counts including sex trafficking of a child, is reportedly cooperating with prosecutors to earn some leniency. Gaetz denies the alleged focus of his investigation — paying for sex and having sex with a minor across state lines — and has not been charged or formally accused of wrongdoing.

 

https://news.yahoo.com/music-teacher-falsely-accused-pedophilia-082839008.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[Shabibilicious]

New Docs Show Matt Gaetz Campaign in Full Damage-Control Mode

 

 

Roger Sollenberger

Wed, April 21, 2021, 3:40 AM

 

 

 

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photos Getty

As Rep. Matt Gaetz combats allegations that he was involved in a sex ring, the Florida Republican’s latest campaign finance report reflects a public relations scramble that began even before he acknowledged being the focus of a federal investigation.

The filing, which covers the three months between January and March, shows that Gaetz has incurred unprecedented fundraising expenses during a typically quiet period. In that time, Gaetz dropped six figures on a direct mail blitz, shelling out more for fundraising services than he did in all of 2020.

Gaetz also paid $5,000 in “strategic consulting” fees to notorious political operative Roger Stone, and he gave money to a number of GOP Florida state lawmakers that he’s never supported before. The report also indicates that Gaetz—who cites his lack of friends in Washington as a point of pride—may be increasingly isolated; he’s received no contributions from his GOP colleagues.

How Scandal-Plagued Matt Gaetz Became ‘Excommunicado’ at Fox News

 

More than anything, the filing reflects a concerted effort to bolster support ahead of the creeping shadow of the investigation. Gaetz has spent roughly $170,000 on direct mail outreach this year, $116,543 of it on one day—March 31. The previous day, The New York Times broke the news that the Justice Department was looking into whether the third-term congressman had sex with a 17-year-old and paid for her travel, a possible violation of federal sex-trafficking laws.

Gaetz has also invested heavily in fundraising, paying Nevada-based Red Rock Strategies nearly $160,000 for fundraising consulting. That’s roughly $10,000 more than the campaign spent on fundraising services in 2019 and 2020 combined, according to The Daily Beast’s analysis of filings in the FEC database.

Last week, Politico also reported that Gaetz recently spent six-figures on TV ads punching back against the accusations. The 30-second spots, slated to run in his panhandle home district and on select national cable networks, ask supporters to “fight back” against “a multi-week fake news cycle,” targeting CNN specifically. The ad buys came after the quarterly filing deadline and aren’t included in the latest report, but should appear in the next filing, which is due in July.

However, one expense in particular will raise eyebrows: A $5,000 “strategic political consulting” fee to Drake Ventures, the company belonging to longtime GOP smear artist and Gaetz associate Roger Stone. On Friday, the DOJ sued Stone and his wife, Nydia, alleging that the couple owes millions in unpaid taxes and have used Drake Ventures to shelter more than $1 million.

The campaign paid Stone’s company on March 24, just days before Gaetz’s father held an in-person meeting with a former DOJ prosecutor, according to a person familiar with the meeting. In a bizarre March 31 interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, Matt Gaetz claimed that his father recorded that conversation at the direction of the FBI, alleging without evidence that the former prosecutor was at the center of a convoluted scheme to extort the congressman. The Gaetz campaign had never paid Drake Ventures until then.

The report also suggests that Gaetz has few friends in Washington. While Gaetz swore off donations from corporate PACs, he kept the door open to donations from candidate committees. But he has so far reported no financial support in 2021 from friends in Congress such as Jim Jordan and Stephen Scalise, both of whom donated to his 2020 campaign. And while he made same-day $4,000 donations to Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) in mid-February, Gaetz did not give money to any House colleagues.

Gaetz did, however, send out $1,000 donations to five GOP Florida state senators on Jan. 26. Gaetz hadn’t donated to any of their campaigns previously.

One of the contributions reflects Gaetz’s ties to Joel Greenberg, his longtime friend whose federal indictment on a range of offenses—including sex trafficking—led to the probe targeting Gaetz. The contribution went to Jason Brodeur, a longtime Gaetz ally who was also close with Greenberg through local GOP circles. Brodeur’s campaign drew scrutiny for dirty tricks, including an alleged sham candidate scheme. Brodeur has denied involvement and went on to win that race, now representing Greenberg’s Seminole County at the state level.

Gaetz has also continued to rack up legal fees, a pattern established last summer around the time the DOJ investigation was reportedly launched. The Daily Beast reported earlier this month that weeks after Greenberg was first indicted—in June 2020—Gaetz paid the law firm Venable LLP $38,000, nearly four times the combined amount of legal fees incurred in the previous five years. The new filing reveals a $21,000 payment to Venable in February, bringing total legal expenses up to $85,000 since Greenberg was charged.

Caleb Burns, a partner at Wiley Rein who specializes in campaign finance law, told The Daily Beast that spikes in legal fees are often accompanied by a parallel spike in fundraising.

“The law permits candidates and officeholders to use campaign contributions for legal expenses that arise from their candidate and officeholder duties and responsibilities,” Burns explained. “But if an officeholder gets into a car accident on the way to the grocery store—which has nothing to do with running for or holding office—the law bars the use of campaign funds to cover any resulting legal expenses. Therefore, it is not uncommon for candidates and officeholders facing scrutiny for their political activities to raise additional funds into their campaigns to help offset associated legal expenses.”

While the thrust of the Gaetz investigation is said to focus on the sex trafficking allegations, CNN reported earlier this month that federal investigators are also examining campaign finance irregularities as part of their broader inquiry. Gaetz can legally tap his campaign coffers for those expenses.

The congressman has already raised money from the scandal. On April 7, Talking Points Memo published a fundraising email in which Gaetz slammed “The far-left New York Times” for reporting “salacious allegations against me in an attempt to end my career fighting for the forgotten men and women of this country.” The email added that it was “a shame that the Left tries to drag my dating life into their political attacks,” and included a donation link asking supporters to “fight back against the fake news.”

Gaetz donor Richard Bell, who gave to the congressman late last month, told The Daily Beast that while he has liked Gaetz’s policies since he arrived in D.C., Gaetz “should pay the price” if the allegations are true.

“I know there is a big expense in defending and felt I wanted to help out,” Bell said.

Another recent donor, Florida resident Jerry Klinger, told The Daily Beast that he gave to Gaetz because he agreed with the congressman’s “small-government philosophy.” However, Klinger said that “the shadows that have come out since may have given me pause to reconsider.”

Klinger expressed skepticism about the merits of the DOJ investigation, and said he has “no objection” if Gaetz uses his donation for legal expenses. But he pointed out that the congressman comes from a wealthy and influential family.

“If daddy wants to pay for junior, that’s a different story,” he said.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/docs-show-matt-gaetz-campaign-074036791.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[Shelley]

He should switch parties , then he can get away with anything he wants , doesn’t matter how bad the crime , Democrats get away with it 

[Shabibilicious]

Matt Gaetz sparked William Barr to drop the F-bomb in a legal spat over Florida voting

Betsy Woodruff Swan and Daniel Lippman

Tue, April 20, 2021, 8:27 AM

 

Months before news broke that the feds were investigating him for sex trafficking, Rep. Matt Gaetz was at the center of a separate internal fight at the Justice Department. The sparring match involved an Oval Office meeting, a foul-mouthed threat from the attorney general and voting in Florida. It has not been previously reported.

In Aug. 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Larry Keefe — a former law partner of Gaetz’s at the firm Keefe, Anchors & Gordon — as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida. More than a year after he was sworn in, and as Joe Biden was locking up the Democratic nomination, Keefe looked to open a wide-ranging probe into voter fraud in Florida, according to two people familiar with the matter.

To open the probe, he needed approval from the Public Integrity Section at the Justice Department’s headquarters. The lawyers there blanched at the statewide scope of Keefe’s proposal, the sources said, and indicated they thought it would be too broad.

 

Keefe told Gaetz that he was facing resistance from the Public Integrity Section, according to a third person familiar with the situation.

In a phone interview with POLITICO about this reporting, Gaetz described the conversation this way: “Keefe did not share with me any details of any investigative work, nor would he. We were having a broad discussion about legal doctrine related to jurisdiction and venue.”

Specifically, Gaetz said their conversation was about whether U.S. attorneys whose districts included state capital cities could investigate voter fraud in parts of the state outside their districts.

Gaetz described Keefe’s view of the law this way: Since presidential electors are certified in state capital cities, any harm related to their fraudulent certification would be caused there — meaning the U.S. attorneys whose districts included those cities should have the authority to investigate those crimes.

“I got the sense from Keefe that the DOJ wanted U.S. attorneys to be very passive when it came to election integrity,” Gaetz said.

After Keefe and Gaetz discussed the issue, the congressman had a meeting in the Oval Office with Trump. Gaetz said Trump brought up his views on fraud connected to mail-in voting. In response, Gaetz brought up Keefe’s legal theory.

“I said to him that an appreciation for the Keefe position on venue would give good U.S. attorneys in every capital city the necessary jurisdiction to root out fraud,” Gaetz said. “I also shared with President Trump that Keefe had faced substantial resistance from the Department of Justice.”

 

William Barr speaks during a roundtable discussion on Operation Legend.

Gaetz said that Trump then told White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who was in the room, to tell Attorney General William Barr that Trump believed Keefe’s legal theory had merit.

When Barr learned about Gaetz’s conversation with the president, he was incensed. The attorney general called the U.S. attorney and gave him an earful, according to two people familiar with the call.

“If I ever hear of you talking to Gaetz or any other congressman again about business before the department, I am going to ******* fire your ass,” Barr told him, according to one of the people with knowledge of the call.

Gaetz said he didn’t know about any testy conversations.

“I am unaware of any discussion Barr had with Keefe,” he told POLITICO, “but I did get a message from Keefe subsequent to my meeting in the Oval wherein Keefe said he was not going to be able to discuss these matters with me, and I got the sense that the politics of the Department of Justice were such that they did not want U.S. attorneys looking for election fraud in this type of very proactive way.”

Barr declined to comment for this story. A spokesperson for Trump also declined to comment. A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment.

Trump won Florida handily in the 2020 race.

Keefe, like almost every other U.S. attorney appointed by Trump, was asked to resign by the Biden administration and left office on Feb. 28. Keefe said in a statement: “It is not appropriate for me to comment on details related to my previous service as a U.S. Attorney. I stand by the decisions I made and the actions I took in honoring and enforcing the laws of this nation during my public service.”

Gaetz is reportedly being investigated for whether he engaged in sex trafficking. He has not been charged with a crime, and no women have publicly accused him of sexual misconduct in the three weeks since the New York Times first reported on the investigation. He has denied any wrongdoing.

At the time of Keefe and Gaetz’s attempted investigation, the issue of voting rights, especially in Florida and other swing states, was a top national political story. Republicans have long raised concerns about voter fraud hurting the legitimacy of elections, even though numerous studies have shown that there are very few actual cases. Voting rights advocates, meanwhile, engaged in a wide-ranging effort to help people convicted of felonies who’d completed their prison sentences register to vote.

A landmark constitutional amendment passed in 2018 restored voting rights to people in this category — some experts have estimated it could have let up to 1.4 million people vote in Florida who couldn’t previously, as ProPublica reported. But because of a state law and a court ruling, those people also had to pay any outstanding fines, restitution and fees before being able to vote — what has been called a 21st century poll tax. Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg offered to help pay down the fees, and Florida’s Republican attorney general asked the FBI to investigate if the move broke any voting laws.

 

https://news.yahoo.com/matt-gaetz-sparked-william-barr-122723427.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[Shabibilicious]

Matt Gaetz Pleads For Money, And You Can Guess How People Are Responding

 

 

Ed Mazza

·Overnight Editor, HuffPost

Wed, April 21, 2021, 11:36 PM

 

 

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is pleading for money from his supporters as he launches a media attack on CNN amid reports he’s under investigation in connection with a sex scandal.

Gaetz denies the allegations, but investigators are reportedly examining evidence to see whether he and an associate paid for sex, including with a person who was 17 years old at the time.

That evidence is said to include receipts from online payments made via Venmo, Apple Pay and Cash App, according to reports.

Gaetz tweeted his ad, in which he basically takes some of the text from a right-wing meme about former President Donald Trump and makes it about himself instead:

 

Gaetz’s associate in Florida, former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, is reportedly cooperating with investigators, who seized Gaetz’s cellphone last year.

Given that history, Gaetz’s attempt to fundraise off his current troubles struck some of his critics as crass:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been update

 

https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/matt-gaetz-fundraising-ad-033634379.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[coorslite21]

30 minutes ago, Shabibilicious said:

Matt Gaetz Pleads For Money, And You Can Guess How People Are Responding

 

 

Ed Mazza

·Overnight Editor, HuffPost

Wed, April 21, 2021, 11:36 PM

 

 

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is pleading for money from his supporters as he launches a media attack on CNN amid reports he’s under investigation in connection with a sex scandal.

Gaetz denies the allegations, but investigators are reportedly examining evidence to see whether he and an associate paid for sex, including with a person who was 17 years old at the time.

That evidence is said to include receipts from online payments made via Venmo, Apple Pay and Cash App, according to reports.

Gaetz tweeted his ad, in which he basically takes some of the text from a right-wing meme about former President Donald Trump and makes it about himself instead:

 

Gaetz’s associate in Florida, former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, is reportedly cooperating with investigators, who seized Gaetz’s cellphone last year.

Given that history, Gaetz’s attempt to fundraise off his current troubles struck some of his critics as crass:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been update

 

https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/matt-gaetz-fundraising-ad-033634379.html

 

GO RV, then BV

Seems the whole theme here is upside down.....

 

Once again the MSM and Social Media are jumping the gun and forgetting that old "innocent until proven guilty".....

 

Gaetz is a threat to the left, just as Trump was.....so it's seek and discredit and destroy at all costs.....

 

Can you blame him for fighting back.....or should he just roll over?

 

Is that what you would do?

CL 

[Shabibilicious]

 

Gaetz's complaints about Iran hostage scheme will not distract FBI probe: source

Mark Hosenball

Thu, April 22, 2021, 3:43 PM

 

 

By Mark Hosenball 

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal investigation into whether U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz trafficked a minor for sex will not be derailed by his assertion that a veteran asked his father for money to pay for the release of an American held by Iran, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said. 

  Investigators believe the purported scheme to free Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in Iran in 2007, lacked credibility, the source said. Another U.S. official familiar with the case noted that Levinson's family in March 2020 publicly accepted U.S. government assessments that he died in Iranian custody. 

  Federal investigators are examining the purported attempt while separately also looking into whether Gaetz, a Florida Republican, may have violated sex trafficking laws by paying travel expenses for a 17-year-old female, the law enforcement source said. 

  "One has nothing to do with the other," the source said. 

  Gaetz has not been charged with any crime, has called the accusations false and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. 

  Former U.S. Air Force officer Bob Kent on April 5 told Michael Smerconish's Sirius Radio program that he met with Matt Gaetz's wealthy father Donald Gaetz in March and sought a "$25 million loan" to "buy back" Levinson from the Iranians. The elder Gaetz is a Florida State Senator who was the founder of a healthcare company. 

  Kent did not respond to requests for comment. 

  Matt Gaetz said in a statement last month that he and his family had "been victims of an organized criminal extortion involving a former DOJ official seeking $25 million while threatening to smear my name." 

  A spokesman for Gaetz and his family has told Reuters that the family "has cooperated with the FBI regarding the evidenced extortion attempt ... They will not comment further on the extortion matter at this time so as not to harm the investigation." 

  The law enforcement source said the FBI's investigation is partly focused on the Gaetz's relationship with Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector for Florida's Seminole County who is under federal indictment on charges including sex trafficking of a child, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. At a court hearing lawyers for both Greenberg and the prosecution indicated that discussions were in progress regarding a possible guilty plea. 

 

https://news.yahoo.com/gaetzs-complaints-iran-hostage-scheme-194302254.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[nstoolman1]

On 4/22/2021 at 6:49 AM, coorslite21 said:

 

Is that what you would do?

CL 

Shabbs has no clue what it would be like to be under an all out investigation into made up lies and accusations.

He would end up selling everything to pay for legal fees incurred and in the end, if lucky enough, stay out of jail.

All the while screaming his innocence until proven guilty. Yet he continues to tow the party line of guilty until you prove yourself innocent. His constant posting of left leaning articles with faulty headlines keeps in line with the left's effort to not tell the truth. 

 

 

[Shabibilicious]

1 minute ago, nstoolman1 said:

Shabbs has no clue what it would be like to be under an all out investigation into made up lies and accusations.

He would end up selling everything to pay for legal fees incurred and in the end, if lucky enough, stay out of jail.

All the while screaming his innocence until proven guilty. Yet he continues to tow the party line of guilty until you prove yourself innocent. His constant posting of left leaning articles with faulty headlines keeps in line with the left's effort to not tell the truth. 

 

I'm right here....Why not address me personally?    Why attack the poster as opposed to the post?  I get it, you're a conservative....but it doesn't make left leaning articles any less relevant in today's world.  There's plenty of conservative articles to choose from in this forum that you will find more pleasing to your pallet....choose one.

 

GO RV, then BV

[md11fr8dawg]

This whole thing stinks of a Rat set up. Just like Russia Russia Russia. If these accusations are proven true then let's convict Gaetz and string him up in a public square. Maybe we could go get Ole "Potato Head" from Iraq and get a 2 for 1 deal. That would be epic. But if this is just another Rat seek and destroy mission to get someone they think is dangerous to their socialist agenda then the perpertators of this hoax need to be exposed and the noose put around their neck. Bet that would cut down considerably on this CRAP!!!

[nstoolman1]

23 minutes ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

I'm right here....Why not address me personally?    Why attack the poster as opposed to the post?  I get it, you're a conservative....but it doesn't make left leaning articles any less relevant in today's world.  There's plenty of conservative articles to choose from in this forum that you will find more pleasing to your pallet....choose one.

 

GO RV, then BV

Attack the poster????  I merely put you in the same position as Gaetz. Doesn't feel good does it? 

Left or right leaning articles that distort the facts don't have a place anywhere that people are looking for the truth. 

 

[Shabibilicious]

1 minute ago, nstoolman1 said:

Attack the poster????  I merely put you in the same position as Gaetz. Doesn't feel good does it? 

Left or right leaning articles that distort the facts don't have a place anywhere that people are looking for the truth. 

 

 

What!?  You act as if I am rubbing these articles directly in the face of Matt Gaetz...like in real life, face to face.  Time will tell if the articles prove to be anything more than just articles....just because you don't believe them, doesn't make them any less factual.  

 

GO RV, then BV