Matt Gaetz flouting House ethics rules: report
Matt Gaetz. Image via AP.

House Votes
Gaetz may have committed a number of potential infractions.

A report from POLITICO says that certain “spending practices” of a Panhandle Congressman may have flouted House ethics rules, again raising questions.

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, according to the investigation committed a number of potential infractions.

One such spend amounted to “tens of thousands of dollars” to a company connected to speechwriting consultant Darren Beattie, an error Gaetz acknowledges as a “clerical error,” POLITICO reports.

Beattie had spoken at a conference of the H.L. Mencken Club, an alt=right group, and spoke at an event where white identity politics themes were trafficked.

In addition to that spending, the second-term Republican is under fire for a television studio he had installed at the house of his father, Don Gaetz.

POLITICO labels that a “possible violation” of rules.

“Taxpayers foot the bill to rent the television camera, and the private company that built the studio — which Gaetz refuses to identify — takes a fee each time he appears on air, his office said. It’s unclear how much it cost the private company to construct the studio.”

Gaetz, currently in the minority party in the Democratic-controlled House, asserted that the arrangements were both approved by the House Ethics Committee.

POLITICO charges no evidence of that approval was provided.

The publication couldn’t get anyone on record to denounce Gaetz’s actions, relying instead on unnamed experts to deem the arrangement “extraordinarily unusual” and that it “likely violates the gift ban rule.”

Gaetz has been dogged with similar claims before, and they didn’t go anywhere, including an office lease claimed to be “below-market” by liberal watchdog group Common Cause.

In that instance, Gaetz told a Florida Politics reporter he was not worried that the Democratic majority may make hay of the claim.

“I don’t fear the Democratic majority because I don’t work for them. My bosses are the people of Northwest Florida,” the Congressman said. “They’re very pleased with the feisty representation they are getting.

Staff Reports


4 comments

  • Sonja Fitch

    July 22, 2020 at 10:42 am

    Someone take Matt out back and tell him to stfu! What a white man privileged piece of shit! Yes I meant shit!

    • DisplacedCTYankee

      July 22, 2020 at 11:25 am

      At least my congressman, Vern Buchanan, isn’t a national embarrassment. He’s sitting on the House back bench now and doesn’t even care.

  • S.B. Anthony

    July 22, 2020 at 11:46 am

    I guess “feisty” means immoral, illegal, and unethical now, at least in Gaetz/Trump world.
    He follows his leader. We need a state attorney who will indict him. Vote Melba Pearson.

  • Sam

    July 22, 2020 at 1:29 pm

    The voters have a very good alternative on the other side, hope they take it.

Comments are closed.


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