House Ethics Committee cancels meeting on Matt Gaetz investigation
The Republican-led House Ethics Committee canceled its meeting Friday, Nov. 15, over the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, according to multiple outlets citing sources. Gaetz resigned from Congress earlier this week after President-elect Trump announced he’s nominating Gaetz for attorney general.
The meeting, which was scheduled for Friday morning, before Gaetz resigned from Congress. Among other topics, the meeting was to focus on the investigation into multiple allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, and obstruction.
The committee was set to vote on whether to release a report of the investigation. Now, there are calls from both sides of the aisle to make the results of the investigation public anyhow, especially from senators who will be tasked with whether to approve Gaetz’s nomination.
Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) said earlier this week their investigation would end now once Gaetz was no longer a member of Congress.
Trump calls RFK Jr. a ‘great mind’ after health secretary nomination
President-elect Trump has named RFK Jr. as his Health and Human Services Secretary. And fight fans are ready for a streaming spectacle: former champ Mike Tyson will return to the ring to take on social media star Jake Paul. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
Trump calls RFK Jr. a ‘great mind’ after health secretary nomination
“[Kennedy is] another one, who’s a great guy and great mind and so popular, and I think he’s right, he wants to make people healthy,” Trump said. “It’s driven him pretty wild over the last number of years, and the Democrats didn’t treat him well. He was doing fantastically well.”
“Today I nominated him for, I guess if you like health and you like people that live a long time, it’s the most important position RFK Jr.,” Trump said.
Kennedy responded to the nomination earlier in the day, posting on X in part, “We have a generational opportunity to bring together the greatest minds in science, medicine, industry, and government to put an end to the chronic disease epidemic.”
The 70-year-old Kennedy is a former Democrat, who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the race. He would oversee a group of health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R) called Kennedy “a brilliant, courageous truth-teller whose unwavering commitment to transparency will make America a healthier nation.”
Meanwhile, critics of Kennedy pointed to his previous comments questioning vaccinations. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden (D) said in a statement, “Mr. Kennedy’s outlandish views on basic scientific facts are disturbing and should worry all parents who expect schools and other public spaces to be safe for their children.”
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey (D) just posted three words: “Dangerous. Unqualified. Unserious.”
Kennedy is also the founder of the Children’s Health Defense, which is described by media outlets as the leading anti-vaccine group in the nation.
When pressed on the subject of vaccinations by both NBC News and NPR in interviews earlier this month, Kennedy said if put into this type of role he is “not going to take away anybody’s vaccinations.”
President-elect Trump adds more names to his cabinet
Also on Thursday, Trump nominated Doug Collins as Veterans Affairs secretary. The former Republican congressman from Georgia and Iraq war veteran was a supporter of Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2019.
Trump also named three of his lawyers to positions in the Justice Department.
Finally, John Sauer, who won the presidential immunity case at the U.S. Supreme Court, is Trump’s pick for solicitor general.
House Ethics Committee cancels meeting on Matt Gaetz investigation
The Republican-led House Ethics Committee canceled its meeting over the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, according to multiple outlets citing sources. Gaetz resigned from Congress earlier this week after President-elect Trump announced he’s nominating Gaetz for attorney general.
The meeting, which was scheduled for Friday morning, Nov. 15, before Gaetz resigned, was supposed to focus on the investigation into multiple allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, and obstruction.
Tropical Storm Sara brings dangerous torrential rain to Honduras
Tropical Storm Sara made landfall late Thursday in northern Honduras, bringing torrential rain as it skirts the country’s coast. Authorities there have warned of the potential for dangerous flash flooding and landslides, with the country’s president saying it could “become a catastrophic event.”
Honduran officials have issued the highest-level warning along the country’s northern coast and activated the national police and military for rescue and relief efforts. Sara is expected to move inland, making landfall over Belize on Sunday, Nov. 17, before dissipating over the Yucatán Peninsula, according to the National Hurricane Center.
This marks the 18th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30.
Annual UFO report finds 21 cases that can’t be explained
Pentagon officials maintain they’ve found no evidence of alien activity, but the government’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) said it takes every report seriously and investigates each one.
If none of this UAP stuff exists, if it’s all false, why at every turn are people trying to stop transparency? You can’t talk about fight club if there’s no fight club. pic.twitter.com/otPGNbwu71
Of the new reports the AARO has received, nearly 50 have already been closed as everyday items, such as balloons, birds or drones. The government agency expects to resolve another 243 cases by identifying them as one of those objects.
More than 400 of the new reports were put into an active archive because there was not enough data or evidence to keep investigating.
Tyson vs. Paul in Netflix’s first live streaming boxing event
The two faced off during a final weigh-in on Thursday, with Tyson slapping Paul. The eight-round match at AT&T Stadium in Texas was postponed from July after Tyson suffered an inflamed ulcer weeks before the bout.
Reports indicate both competitors are expected to have a big payday. Tyson, who has a record of 50-6, will reportedly make $20 million and the 27-year-old Paul, who has a record of 10-1, will make $40 million.
Paul’s startup, Most Valuable Promotions, teamed up with Netflix to bring the fight together.
Netflix currently has more than 282 million paid subscribers worldwide and Paul predicts at least 25 million of them will tune in. If that comes to pass, it’ll make this the most watched boxing match of all time.
Senate Democrats demand release of Gaetz ethics investigation
Senate Democrats are demanding the House Ethics Committee release their report about former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., as he works to be confirmed as the next Attorney General. The committee has been investigating Gaetz since 2021 on a number of allegations including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, converting campaign funds for personal use and accepting a bribe.
“We cannot allow this valuable information from a bipartisan investigation to be hidden from the American people,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told reporters.
Democrats want the committee to release their report and the evidence they used to write it. The House Committee was going to vote on releasing it Friday, Nov. 15, but they no longer have jurisdiction over Gaetz because he resigned Wednesday, Nov. 13.
.@RepMattGaetz resignation is read in the House of Representatives: "I do not intend to take the oath of office for the same office in the 119th Congress to pursue the position of Attorney General in the Trump Administration." pic.twitter.com/8SpMffRYjJ
“I am also going to insist that we be provided with the evidence and investigative findings of the Department of Justice, in connection with its investigation of very serious federal crimes that are directly and indisputably relevant to his appointment to this top federal law enforcement post,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said.
Blumenthal told Straight Arrow News if the House Ethics Committee does not release the report publicly or provide it to the Senate for review during the confirmation process, the Senate Judiciary Committee could issue a subpoena. Otherwise, it may never be seen.
“Elections have consequences,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said. “He chose Matt Gaetz. Matt will come before the committee and he will be asked hard questions and we’ll see how he does.”
“I think the president’s entitled to broad presumption in favor of his cabinet,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said. “And my working of presumption is that I’ll vote in favor of all of his Cabinet picks.”
Some Republicans are expressing concern about Gaetz. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, already announced she’ll vote no. Sen. John Cornyn, Texas, said he wants to see the entire House report. Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa, said Gaetz has his work cut out for him.
The ethics investigation isn’t Gaetz’s only baggage. His crusade to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy is also looked down upon.
“I didn’t like the way he handled the squabble with Speaker McCarthy,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said. “I think that was unnecessary. I thought it was divisive. I think that the conference suffered, the Republican Conference suffered for it and, you know, Mike Johnson sort of redeemed them. So that’s one hang up I have about him.”
When Republicans take control of the chamber in January, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the man who oversaw the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, is in line to chair the Judiciary Committee again.
Gaetz resigns from Congress after being picked as Trump’s attorney general
President-elect Donald Trump has made his selection for attorney general: Rep. Matt Gaetz. Why it might be an uphill battle for the Florida congressman to get confirmed. And we now know in a clean sweep, Republicans won control of the House of Representatives. Who GOP lawmakers voted to lead them in the next term. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.
Gaetz resigns from Congress after being picked as Trump’s attorney general
President-elect Trump selected more names for key cabinet positions on Wednesday, Nov. 13, including nominating Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz for attorney general. That choice is being met with opposition from some Senate Republicans — who would need to confirm the pick.
“I think out of deference to us, he issued his resignation letter effective immediately,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said of Gaetz’s decision. “That caught us by surprise a little bit. But I asked him what the reasoning was, and he said, ‘Well, you can’t have too many absences.’ So, under Florida state law there is about an eight-week period to select and fill a vacant seat.”
Johnson said Gaetz’s resignation started the clock for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to call for a special election to fill the vacancy, which will narrow Republicans’ slight majority in the House.
In making his nomination, Trump called Gaetz a “deeply gifted and tenacious attorney…who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice.”
A bipartisan House Ethics Committee is in the final stages of its own investigation into Gaetz. Gaetz told the committee in September he was done cooperating with its investigation.
His resignation would put an end to that investigation, as the Ethics Committee does not have jurisdiction over former House members.
Trump’s announcement came during the House Republicans’ closed door leadership election, with lawmakers telling several news outlets that there were “audible gasps” in the room when they heard the pick.
In response to Gaetz’s nomination, multiple senators went on record not throwing their full support behind the decision. One senator told Fox News Gaetz “will never be confirmed” and another said it “ain’t gonna happen.”
Gaetz’s office has not responded to the criticism. Gaetz himself issued a statement on social media in response to the nod from the president-elect, saying, “It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!”
Johnson wins nomination for speaker as GOP takes House majority
The landscape of Congress in the new year became clearer on Wednesday with Republicans winning enough seats to control the House. Victories in Arizona and California gave the GOP the 218 seats needed to make up the majority in the chamber.
Republicans will now have control of the House and the Senate when President-elect Trump takes office. GOP lawmakers voted on leadership in both chambers Wednesday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson won the nomination to remain on the job for another two years. A full house vote will take place in January. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and GOP Whip Tom Emmer were also reelected in their leadership roles.
In the Senate, Republican John Thune of South Dakota was elected as the next majority leader. The fourth-term senator will replace longtime leader Mitch McConnell.
Pennsylvania Senate race heads to a recount
While Republicans have won enough seats to take control of Congress, Pennsylvania’s Senate race is headed for a recount as Democratic incumbent Bob Casey refused to concede to his Republican rival, Dave McCormick, despite the race being called by the Associated Press.
Across our Commonwealth, close to 7 million people cast their votes in a free and fair election.
The American democratic process was born in Pennsylvania and that process will play out. pic.twitter.com/R2RirIa09j
While provisional and mail-in ballots are still being counted, unofficial results show the race to be within the one-half of 1% margin which automatically triggers a recount under state law. Currently, McCormick leads Casey by less than 30,000 votes.
Despite Casey refusing to concede, McCormick was on Capitol Hill Wednesday for freshman orientation, where he and other new lawmakers met with outgoing Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Suspect dead after explosion outside Brazil’s Supreme Court
Security concerns are heightened in Brazil after an explosion outside the country’s Supreme Court less than a week before G20 leaders are set to meet in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil’s Supreme Court is in the nation’s capital, Brasilia about 700 miles northwest of Rio.
Authorities said a man killed himself while detonating explosives in Three Powers Plaza, which is home to all three branches of Brazil’s government, after unsuccessfully trying to get into the Supreme Court with the explosives.
The vice-governor of the country’s federal district said the suspect blew up a car near Congress before heading to the Supreme Court. Police have not identified the attacker, but they believe he was working alone.
Teen ‘serial swatter’ behind hundreds of hoax threats pleads guilty
A prolific teenage “serial swatter” from California, has pleaded guilty to making hundreds of hoax calls about mass shootings and bomb threats to schools, religious institutions and government officials nationwide.
The Department of Justice announced Wednesday Alan Filion, 18, pleaded guilty in a Florida federal courtroom to four counts of making interstate threats. He faces up to 20 years in prison, as each charge carries a five-year maximum sentence.
Officials said from August 2022 to January of this year, Filion made more than 375 swatting and threat calls in various parts of the country including Maryland, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Washington, Texas and Florida.
“Swatting” is when someone makes false accusations to send a large number of law enforcement rushing to a location where there is essentially nothing going on.
Matt Gaetz defeats McCarthy-backed candidate in Florida primary
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz easily won his primary in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, defeating Aaron Dimmock, a McCarthy-backed Navy veteran, with 72% of the vote. The race was closely watched as part of a broader effort by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to challenge Republicans who voted to oust him from his leadership position last fall.
Gaetz, who led the effort to remove McCarthy, claimed that his victory proved the limits of “big money” influence in politics.
Dimmock acknowledged his defeat on social media, stating, “Running as a first time candidate against a powerful career politician is never easy, but I was honored to have the opportunity to be that alternative.”
Despite McCarthy’s PAC spending millions against him, Gaetz told CBS News, “Kevin McCarthy was motivated by revenge and pettiness and I think some very destructive soul searching. I’m on my way to the 119th Congress, and he’s on his way to whatever the next stage of grief is.”
McCarthy’s revenge campaign has seen mixed results. While he helped unseat Virginia Rep. Bob Good, R, other Republicans like South Carolina’s Nancy Mace and Arizona’s Eli Crane survived their challenges.
For Gaetz, his win further solidifies his grip on the Florida panhandle’s deep-red district, with some speculating about a possible future run for Florida governor.
Gaetz denied those rumors on social media, saying he has “no plans” for a gubernatorial bid and remains focused on supporting former President Donald Trump in Washington.
Fmr. President Obama rallies support for Harris at Night 2 of DNC
Former President Barack Obama headlined night two of the DNC, rallying support behind Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency. And Russian officials say Moscow came under the largest attack by Ukrainian drones since the war began over two years ago. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024.
Former President Obama rallies support for Harris at Night 2 of DNC
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will formally accept the nomination for vice president at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago Wednesday night. Among those set to speak on night three of the DNC is former President Bill Clinton.
Tuesday, Aug. 20, was a night of Democratic Party star power — including speeches from the Obamas.
Former President Barack Obama closed out the night by rallying up the crowd and throwing his full support behind Vice President Kamala Harris while speaking out against her opponent, former President Donald Trump.
“We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos,” Obama said. “We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse. America is ready for a new chapter. America is ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”
Her running mate, Gov. Walz, will headline night three with a primetime speech Wednesday night.
Running mate says RFK Jr. can stay in the race or back Trump
Former President Donald Trump is continuing a rally blitz across battleground states. He spent Tuesday, Aug. 20, campaigning in Michigan with an emphasis on crime and inflation.
On Wednesday, Trump will join his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, in North Carolina.
This comes as it looks like Trump could potentially pick up an endorsement from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan. Shanahan said on a podcast they have two options: stay in the race or join forces with Trump to avoid a Kamala Harris presidency.
RFK Jr. has yet to comment on this direction of his campaign, but said Tuesday he is open to talks with other political parties with similar goals.
A CNN reporter asked Trump whether he would consider RFK Jr. for a spot in his administration following the news of the potential endorsement. Trump said he is open to the idea.
Matt Gaetz defeats McCarthy-backed candidate in Florida primary
McCarthy and his allies had targeted Gaetz as well as three other Republicans who voted to oust him from the speakership late last year.
McCarthy did claim one win — helping to defeat House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R, in Virginia earlier this summer. However, South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace and Arizona Rep. Eli Crane won each of their races despite the opposition from McCarthy.
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez officially resigns after bribery conviction
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, D, has officially resigned. Tuesday, Aug, 20, was his last day in office.
It comes just over a month after a jury convicted him on federal bribery charges.
The state’s Democratic governor is tapping former top aide George Helmy to succeed the three-term incumbent until the November election results for the Senate seat are certified. It’s a high stakes race, with Democrats holding a narrow majority in the Senate.
Russia says it fought off Ukraine’s largest drone attack yet on Moscow
Russian officials said they shot down at least 12 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow late Aug. 20 night and early Aug. 21 morning, local time. Russia said it was part of one of the largest drone attacks since the Russia-Ukraine War began in 2022.
While it’s not clear how many drones were launched in total, Russia said it took out more than 45 over various regions.
The attacks come as Russia is advancing in eastern Ukraine while also trying to fight off Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region — which is the biggest foreign attack on Russian territory since World War II.
Federal judge blocks FTC’s rule banning noncompete agreements
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) plan to ban noncompete agreements in the workplace is no longer happening — at least for now. On Tuesday, Aug. 20, a federal judge in Texas blocked the new rule that would have made it easier for employees to quit a job and go work for a competitor or start a competing business.
The judge ruled the FTC “exceeded its statutory authority” in making its decision back in April and said the ban would cause irreparable harm. The FTC has previously said noncompete agreements restrict workers’ freedoms and suppress wages.
The rule was to take effect on Sept. 4. An FTC spokesperson said the agency is considering appealing the judge’s decision.
McCarthy’s bid to oust Gaetz will likely fail, but he says damage is done
The feud between former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., moved out of Washington and into Florida’s 1st Congressional District. A super PAC aligned with McCarthy spent $3 million in Gaetz’s primary in support of his opponent, former Navy Pilot Aaron Dimmock.
The PAC admits Gaetz is on track to easily win his primary on Tuesday, Aug. 20, though they believe they damaged his reputation and chances in a rumored run for governor in 2026. Gaetz said he has no plans to run for governor, but added if his plans change, he hopes to have opposition “as incompetent as these dorks.”
This effort to defeat and damage Gaetz is part of McCarthy’s revenge tour against the eight Republicans who voted to oust him as speaker. So far McCarthy is 1 for 2 in primaries: Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., the Freedom Caucus Chairman, lost, and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., won.
The Gaetz-McCarthy relationship can be summed up with a viral moment from the Republican National Convention.
“What night are you speaking?” Gaetz asked McCarthy in the middle of McCarthy’s interview on CNN.
“If you took that stage you would get booed off of it,” Gaetz continued.
McCarthy responded by bringing up allegations that Gaetz slept with a 17-year-old. That has been the dynamic ever since McCarthy was ousted as speaker.
“I’ll give you the truth why I’m not speaker,” McCarthy said. “It’s because one person, a member of Congress, wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old. An ethics complaint that started before I ever became speaker, and that’s illegal and I’m not going to get in the middle. Did he do it or not? I don’t know, but ethics is looking at it. There’s other people in jail because of it, and he wanted me to influence it.”
The Justice Department investigated the claims against Gaetz and informed him he would not be charged in 2023. One of Gaetz’s friends was sentenced to 11 years in prison for sex trafficking and other crimes. The House Ethics Committee investigation into the Florida congressman is ongoing. He has denied wrongdoing.
“There is not a single human being who has publicly accused me of any wrongdoing of any kind,” Gaetz said on CNN when asked to respond to McCarthy’s comments. “And like, at what point after these things have been said about me for years and years, and not a single person has even accused me of wrongdoing does this sort of become a strange urban legend? My concerns with Kevin McCarthy were around his truthfulness, which, by the way, he certainly didn’t advance any veracity in those comments.”
Despite Gaetz being on an apparent path to victory in his primary Tuesday, Kevin McCarthy is unlikely to give up his campaign against him. The former speaker has a score to settle, and he’s got a lot of time and money.
Trump visits Republicans on Capitol Hill, says he wants to eliminate taxes on tips
Former President Donald Trump visited Capitol Hill Thursday, June 13, to meet with House and Senate Republicans in two separate meetings. Lawmakers inside the room told Straight Arrow News that Trump discussed his 2024 campaign strategy and policy.
“We have great unity, we have great common sense, a lot of very smart people in this room and a lot of people that love our country,” Trump said after his meeting with senators.
Lawmakers were quick to talk about the former president’s new idea to end taxes on tips.
“Just remove all taxes on tips is basically what he said,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said. “You don’t need a bunch of Harvard lawyers and accountants in there to tell me to do that.”
The former president also spoke about foreign policy. According to one representative, Trump said he wants to end support for foreign wars, specifically Ukraine, and increase financial support for members of the U.S. military.
“Trump reflected on the fact that it is a travesty in our country that you’ve got troops who are on food stamps, who are not even getting minimum wage when you look at the hours that they’re putting in, and he lamented the fact that we’re sending $60 billion to Ukraine and we’re not paying our troops more,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said. “So President Trump was explicitly a critic of the Ukraine aid and a supporter of the increases in pay for American troops.”
On border security, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said Republicans would make another attempt to get HR 2 signed into law. That bill is the Republicans’ border security bill which they passed in the House but could not move any further. The bill would limit the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to grant immigrant parole and restart border wall construction. However, it also included other measures that critics called harsh.
“We’ve already passed HR 2, our border security plan,” Greene said. “President Trump supports it. I think that would be something that he would get passed literally in his first few days of office.”
Amidst the tight security, there were two small groups of Trump supporters and very loud protesters. Many of the protesters were Palestinian and shouted that the lawmakers were racist Zionists as they left the meeting.
This was Trump’s first time back to the Capitol since the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Some Democrats criticized his appearance.
“Today, the instigator of an insurrection is returning to the scene of the crime,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told Politico. “January 6th was a crime against the Capitol, that saw Nazi and Confederate flags flying under the dome that Lincoln built. It was a crime against the Constitution and its peaceful transfer of power, in a desperate attempt to cling to power.”
Multiple reporters from foreign outlets asked lawmakers if they too think Trump was returning to the scene of a crime.
“No, it’s not a crime scene man,” Burchett said. “If you think some guy with horns is going to take over our country, ma’am, you need to go back to whatever news source you’re from.”
Republicans also said Trump will be holding at least 100 tele-town halls for members this election season as the GOP attempts to keep its House majority and win a majority in the Senate.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has been issued a subpoena for a deposition in a civil defamation lawsuit over allegations of sexual involvement with a minor. Initiated by Chris Dorworth, a close associate of Gaetz, the lawsuit focuses on a woman’s claim of involvement with Gaetz when she was 17 years old.
Attorneys for the woman, who is now in her 20s, have formally issued the subpoena to Gaetz, as reported by ABC News. The lawsuit stems from broader accusations leveled against Gaetz, encompassing sex trafficking claims thoroughly investigated by the Justice Department. In 2023, the DOJ concluded its investigation, deciding against filing any charges against the congressman.
Despite being cleared of charges by the DOJ, Gaetz faces ongoing challenges, including a congressional ethics investigation linked to the initial allegations. Gaetz has not shied away from political engagement amidst these controversies.
In a move that has drawn attention within Republican circles, Gaetz recently endorsed Brandon Herrera in the Texas Republican primary against the incumbent, Rep. Tony Gonzales. This endorsement comes in defiance of GOP leadership wishes. Gaetz’s active campaigning for Herrera in Texas has stirred discussions about party unity during a crucial election season.
Special counsel Hur says classified docs report doesn’t exonerate Biden
Special counsel Robert Hur defended his description of President Joe Biden’s memory during a hearing with the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday, March 12. Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified information and declined to criminally charge him, had to fend off accusations of political bias during the hearing.
“My assessment and the report about the relevance of the president’s memory was necessary, and accurate and fair,” Hur told the committee. “I did not sanitize my explanation, nor did I disparage the president unfairly.”
In a list of reasons as to why he decided not to charge Biden for having classified documents in his home and personal office, one sentence has received more attention than the rest of the 388-page report.
“We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” the report stated.
Democrats called that description gratuitous.
“You’re doing everything you can do to get President Trump reelected so that you can get appointed as a federal judge or perhaps to another position in the Department of Justice,” Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said to Hur.
“Congressman, I have no such aspirations,” Hur responded. “I can assure you and I can tell you that partisan politics had no place whatsoever in my work.”
“You made a choice,” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said to Hur. “That was a political choice. It was the wrong choice.”
“What you are suggesting is that I shape, sanitize, omit portions of my reasoning and explanation to the attorney general for political reasons,” Hur answered.
The Hur report noted that Biden shared classified information with, Mark Zwonitzer, the ghostwriter for his books “Promise me, Dad” and “Promises to Keep.”
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, speculated that could be a reason to keep the classified documents.
“Mr. Hur, how much did President Biden get paid for his book?” Jordan asked.
“Off the top of my head, I’m not sure if that information appears in the report,” Hur said.
“It sure does,” Jordan responded. “There’s a dollar amount in there. You remember?”
“I don’t. It may be $8 million,” Hur answered.
“$8 million,” Jordan said. “Joe Biden had 8 million reasons to break the rules. Took classified information and shared it with the guy who was writing the book. He knew the rules but he broke them for $8 million in a book advance.”
Republicans also claimed Biden received more lenient treatment than Donald Trump, who also had classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence. Trump is facing 37 charges, including violations of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements.
“Biden and Trump should have been treated equally,” Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said. “They weren’t. And that is the double standard that I think a lot of Americans are concerned about.”
Democrats highlighted differences between the Biden and Trump cases.
“The president allowed your team to seize and review all of the notebooks you found, is that correct?” Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., asked.
“That is correct,” Hur answered.
“Now that’s in stark contrast to ex-President Trump’s case,” Lofgren said. “He obstructed and diverted all the investigations.”
Democrats also played a video montage of Trump making the same types of gaffes Biden is known for and repeatedly saying “I don’t remember” in depositions.
They also contend that Trump was more careless with the classified documents found at his home compared to Biden.
“We know that he stored that information around Mar-a-Lago in the craziest places — on the ballroom stage, spilled across the floor of an unlocked closet, next to the toilet,” Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said.
However, when Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said the report exonerated the president, Hur interrupted to say it did not.