Washington (AP) In an attempt to personally win his beleaguered nomination, President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz, met behind closed doors on Wednesday with Republican senators who are skeptical of his sexual misbehavior and other accusations.
Members of the House Ethics Committee were supposed to be gathering to discuss the results of their long-running probe into their former colleague as Gaetz and senators holed up close to the Senate. The formation of a lynch crowd against Gaetz, who, if confirmed, would be the nation’s top law enforcement official, was denounced by at least one Republican senator.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., stated as he exited the private senators’ meeting, “I’m not going to legitimize the process to destroy the man because people don’t like his politics.”
Graham stated that he should be given the opportunity to present his case for becoming attorney general. No lynch mob, no rubber stamp.
Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri who supports Gaetz’s nomination, said, “It’s okay if you have concerns.” However, don’t decide just yet. First, let the man testify.
Hawley reported that Gaetz was in a good mood at the senators’ meeting in the obscure Strom Thurmond Room.
Gaetz, who has long disputed the growing accusations against him, is beginning a personal campaign to secure the Senate backing required to be confirmed as the country’s attorney general. His suggestions are broad and aim to purge the Department of Justice of individuals that Trump believes have weaponized their work against the president-elect, his supporters, and conservatives in general.
During his meeting with Senate friends, which was mostly a strategy session led by Vice President-elect JD Vance, Gaetz stressed the importance of obtaining a Senate hearing so that he and Trump could present their vision for the Department of Justice.
It comes after Gaetz met with the conservative House Freedom Caucus at the beginning of the week. The group’s members have been enthusiastic about his plan for radical reforms, which has caused a mood of dismay and concern at DOJ.
However, Gaetz is also rushing for the possible publication of the House Ethics Committee’s report, which would make the accusations against him public.
Attorney Joel Leppard said that lawyers involved in a civil case filed by a Gaetz associate were informed this week that an unauthorized individual had accessed a file shared among lawyers that contained unredacted depositions from two women: one who claims she witnessed the encounter, and another who claims Gaetz had sex with her when she was 17.
Although House Speaker Mike Johnson has stated that the Ethics Committee should not make the findings public because Gaetz left his congressional seat so quickly, a number of Republican senators have stated that they want all the facts before deciding how to vote.
We didn’t get into great length about what he anticipates to be in the House Ethics Committee report, but Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who also met with Gaetz, stated that he is confident that the committee is facing a number of bogus claims.
Senators are anticipated to start hearings on Trump’s candidates as soon as the next Congress meets on January 3, when Republicans seize majority control. Voting is scheduled for January 20, which is Inauguration Day.
Gaetz has been an important ally of Trump for a long time. He was a highlight of congressional oversight hearings, where he blasted what conservatives say is favoritism in the Justice Department, which indicted the former president for allegedly mishandling classified documents and trying to rig the 2020 election before the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
However, in the wake of the Me, Too movement and a widespread social backlash against anyone accused of engaging in inappropriate sexual behavior, the president-elect’s choice has been one of the most unexpected and controversial.
However, when it comes to approving presidential nominees, the Senate has a long history of putting sexual behavior concerns aside.
Hawley expressed his doubts about the veracity of the accusations made against Gaetz.
The Associated Press, 2024. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. It is prohibited to publish, broadcast, rewrite, or redistribute this content without authorization.
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