The Independent View: Who is Matt Gaetz
Matt Gaetz is a Republican congressman from Florida. He was the leader of the movement to remove Kevin Mccarthy as Speaker of the House.
What does the Speaker of the House do?
Most people think the speakership is a party office It’s not. The speaker is selected by the full House membership, though the majority party’s voting power “normally” ensures the role is occupied by one of their own.
Most importantly the Speaker is Second in the line of presidential succession after the vice president, the Speaker of the House occupies a central role in our national government. But what is it that a speaker actually does?
From legislation to accounting the speaker fills three primary roles.
First, they’re the most visible and authoritative spokesperson for the majority party in the House. Speakers articulate an agenda and explain legislative action to other Washington officials as well as the public. They oversee House committee assignments and collaborate with the powerful House Rules Committee to structure floor debate.
Second, the speaker manages business on the floor and navigates legislative rules, structuring House debate in a way that will advance their legislative priorities. Adherence to strict rules and procedures is necessary to overcome the difficulty of managing a large legislative body like the House of Representatives.
Third, the speaker oversees everything from accounting to procurement for the House. This position is important in the process of keeping the legislating process going.
As you may have read or heard, the House of Representatives has no Speaker because of Mccarthy’s removal and it doesn’t look like they will for several days. Yes folks, our governing machine has been shut down.
A look at Mr. Gaetz reveals he has been a Republican Representative from Florida for 16 years. He has never introduced a piece of legislation that was signed into law. His claim to fame is being a disrupter. He’s among a group of Republicans that are hard line Right and support Trump and some of his outrageous claims.
As of this writing the House has nominated two potential Speakers. The first resigned after one unsuccessful vote and the second, Jim Jordan, didn’t gained the votes needed in three attempts.
I’m reading headlines every day the GOP is so caught up in fixing their party that they can’t come together to keep a Democrat from being the first Democratic Speaker in a Republican controlled House.
Who is Matt Gaetz?? As mentioned above Mr. Gaetz is a hard line Right Wing Republican from Florida who really has done nothing other than try to disrupt the left and those from his party who disagrees with his values.
His website states his summary of record as “opposes taxing businesses, consumer protection, environmental protection, financial sector regulation, gun control, public health, humane immigration policy, labor rights and wages, LGBT rights, avoiding default, increasing revenues, taxing the wealthy, countering Russian interference, a robust safety net, women’s rights and supports hawkish foreign policy. His main strategy is to lay in the weeds until he can gather limelight. One colleague described him as “All hat and no cattle.”
Sadly Mr. Gaetz is among other politicians accused of wrong doing. I always give the accused, especially those who are wealthy or high profile the benefit of the doubt (innocent until proven guilty).
The material below was taken from the Washington Post.
Did Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-fla.) have a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and engage in sex trafficking?
That question has been the crux of a federal investigation going on for nearly two years, but the investigation may be ending without any charges. The Washington Post reports prosecutors have recommended against charging Gaetz, citing the reliability of two witnesses, though a final decision hasn’t been made yet.
Gaetz says he’s innocent and has emphatically denied having sexual relations with a minor or ever paying for sex. The Post reported in September Gaetz had inquired about a pardon from outgoing President Donald Trump, suggesting the firebrand Republican was concerned he was in serious legal jeopardy. Here’s what’s going on.
Who Gaetz is: He’s a close ally of Trump and one of the most conservative flamethrowers in Congress. He was elected in 2016 to his seat in Florida’s Western Panhandle area, one of the most Republican congressional districts in the nation, and he has glommed onto Trump in a big way. On the eve of the Jan 6 anniversary, he appeared with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA.) to spout unproven conspiracy theories about the attack. He has been a frequent Fox News guest, and he’s aligned himself in the past with the Proud Boys and Holocaust deniers. He also frequently has been investigated for violating House ethics rules. He most recently made headlines for calling abortion rights protesters.
The Daily Beast has reported the money trail suggests Gaetz paid for sex with women. In 2018, his friend Greenberg made Venmo payments to three young women totaling $900, describing the money on the app as for “Tuition” or “School.” Gaetz sent Greenberg $900 the night before on Venmo, writing in one transaction “hit up ___,” using a nickname for the 17-year-old. (Greenberg says they apparently cut off contact with her until she was 18). At least one of those payments has been confirmed by the federal investigation.
Greenberg has also directly accused Gaetz of paying for sex with women, saying he witnessed the acts first hand. He wrote this in an odd confession letter he apparently hoped Trump would read to pardon him. “I did see the acts occur firsthand and Venmo transactions, Cash App or other payments were made to these girls on behalf of the Congressman,” he wrote.
What’s happened now: Prosecutors have told higher-ups in the Justice Department they think a conviction is unlikely, in part because they believe a jury would not accept the testimony of two key witnesses: the then-17-year-old in question, and Gaetz’s business ally, Greenberg. Greenberg has a criminal record beyond this case, and he once falsely accused a schoolteacher of sex with a minor. It’s not clear why the 17-year-old girl’s account would be called into question by a jury.
What could happen to Gaetz: It seems unlikely Gaetz will be charged with a crime.