Matthew Louis Gaetz II (/ e t s / GAYTS; born May 7, 1982) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district since 2017. [172], When Gaetz served in the Florida House of Representatives, he led an unsuccessful effort to allow Floridians with concealed-weapons permits to carry those weapons openly in public. "[287], In June 2020, following an argument with then-Representative Cedric Richmond, Gaetz said he had been living with a 19-year-old immigrant from Cuba, Nestor Galbn, since Galbn was 12, and considered Galbn his son. A former Green Beret who told Fox News in 2016 that he killed a suspected Taliban bomb maker nearly a decade ago during combat operations in Afghanistan is now being charged in the man's death . 56K views, 139 likes, 25 loves, 33 comments, 12 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from The Damage Report: Matt Gaetz Visibly SQUIRMS As Top Military General Speaks [241] Greenberg attempted to bribe Roger Stone with a $250,000 Bitcoin payment to secure a presidential pardon, texting Stone, "They know [Gaetz] paid me to pay the girls and that he and I both had sex with the girl who was underage. [206] Upon announcing his run for Congress in 2016, he said that illegal immigrants were "sucking us dry. His refusal also did not lead to a criminal prosecution, during which it could have been used against him. "[137][138] House Homeland Security Committee chairman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi wrote to the House sergeant-at-arms about Gaetz and others, requesting that he take action regarding their "unprecedented breach of security". These include September 2018 text messages between Greenberg and a woman engaging in prostitution, which indicate that a prostitute was arranged for Gaetz and that the drug MDMA may have been proffered. [75], In April 2020, Politico reported that Gaetz had spent nearly $200,000 of taxpayer funds renting an office from Collier Merrill, a Pensacola real estate developer and restaurateur and longtime friend, adviser, campaign donor, and legal client. He then said this meant allowing Americans "the ability to maintain an armed rebellion against the government if that becomes necessary. Gaetz grew up near Fort Walton Beach and . "[132], During Mueller's testimony to two congressional committees on July 24, 2019, Gaetz told him, "if Russians were lying to Christopher Steele to undermine our confidence in our newly elected president, that would be precisely in your purview because you stated in your opening that the organizing principle was to fully and thoroughly investigate Russian interference. [189] but the EcoHealth Alliance later admitted that under the grant it had enhanced a bat coronavirus so it became potentially more infectious to humans, which the NIH said was an "unexpected result" of the research it had funded that was carried out in partnership with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Matthew Louis Gaetz II (/ets/ GAYTS; born May 7, 1982) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district since 2017. [163], In April 2019, after the House passed a resolution withdrawing American support for the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen, Gaetz was one of nine lawmakers to sign a letter to Trump requesting a meeting with him and urging him to sign Senate Joint Resolution 7, which invokes the War Powers Act of 1973, to end unauthorized US military participation in the Saudi-led coalition's armed conflict against Houthi forces in Yemen. "[288] In 2016, he called Galbn a "local student"; in 2017, he called Galbn "my helper". [117], Gaetz is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, but not of the Intelligence, Foreign Affairs, or Oversight and Reform Committees, and so was not allowed to join lawmakers' closed-door deposition of former White House Russia aide Fiona Hill in October 2019. [50] Johnson previously raised money for the neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer. Instagram/Nestor Galban Rep. Matt Gaetz with his son Nestor Galban and Donald Trump . [87] Gaetz nominated him once and voted for Trump on the 7th, 8th and 11th ballots. He managed debate preparations and "drafted early administration organizational charts, helped steer early policy decisions and played a huge role in DeSantis' appointments", according to Politico. [266] On April 8, it was revealed that Trump had reportedly wanted to defend Gaetz but was told to stand down due to the seriousness of the allegations. Goddess, please clear the way for Matt Gaetz to be indicted ASAP. Asked to clarify, he said his "tweet speaks for itself". Leer en Espaol. [209], Gaetz voted against the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 which authorizes DHS to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020. His work in Congress focuses on national security, tax reform, regulatory reform, and adherence to constitutional principles. [148] Very early into the 118th Congress, Gaetz cosponsored another resolution to impeach Mayorkas. [184] Several journalists characterized the decision as a stunt. [67][70] After the hearing, Gaetz reportedly texted an apology to Cohen, who thanked him for it. They were thought to be holding out for substantial concessions regarding House rules and committee chair assignments. He also said his father agreed to wear a "wire" to help the FBI record the alleged extortionists. During a House military budget hearing, Gaetz and his Republican colleagues wanted to make the teaching of "critical race . [160], In June 2021, Gaetz was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.[161][162]. [291], In December 2020, Gaetz announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Ginger Luckey, the sister of Oculus VR founder and major Republican donor Palmer Luckey. [137] The disruption delayed Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Laura Cooper's testimony by many hours. [9][10][11], Gaetz grew up near Fort Walton Beach, and graduated from Niceville High School. Certain members of the Freedom Caucus, including Gaetz, could contribute the required margin. [267] That evening, Representative Adam Kinzinger tweeted that Gaetz should resign, becoming the first congressional Republican to make such a call. Ex-commander of US forces in Europe challenges Matt Gaetz for smirking at military chief The congressman claims military members 'loathe' critical race theory, but provided no evidence to. He also resigned from two Florida House political action committees he had started and chaired; the PACs closed down and transferred $380,000 to a federal super PAC, North Florida Neighbors, whose purpose was to support Gaetz's congressional campaign. [225] Also on March 30, he tweeted that he and his family were "victims of an organized criminal extortion involving a former DOJ official seeking $25 million". [225] Evidence including mobile payment receipts reportedly suggesting Gaetz had illegally exchanged money for sex, such as May 2018 Venmo transaction records showing Gaetz sending $900 (with a memo referring to a woman) to Greenberg, who then relayed the money (with the memos "tuition" and "school") to three women, one of whom was 18. 1158) which effectively prohibits ICE from cooperating with Health and Human Services to detain or remove illegal alien sponsors of unaccompanied alien children (UACs). Investigators were reportedly exploring whether the escorts were sexually trafficked for Gaetz and whether Gaetz accepted the offer as a political favor to Pirozzolo, who at the time chaired the board of the Medical Marijuana Physicians Association. [170], Former National Rifle Association president Marion Hammer called Gaetz "one of the most pro-gun members to have ever served in the Florida Legislature. [164], On June 1, 2020, during the nationwide George Floyd protests, Gaetz tweeted, "Now that we clearly see antifa as terrorists, can we hunt them down like we do those in the Middle East?" He said he had no symptoms and was not sure when he had contracted the disease. "[159], In 2021, Gaetz was one of 14 House Republicans to vote against a measure condemning the Myanmar coup d'tat that overwhelmingly passed, for reasons reported to be unclear. He printed out part of his speech onto giant boards that he would hold up if he was unable to speak. [208], In October 2018, Gaetz falsely claimed that George Soros paid for a caravan of migrants from Central America to the United States. In 2017, he cast the only vote against a human trafficking bill", "Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz was literally the only person to vote against an anti-human trafficking bill", "Roll Call 91 Roll Call 91, Bill Number: H. R. 1865, 115th Congress, 2nd Session", "Gaetz among 20 House Republicans who voted against anti-human trafficking bill", "Gaetz misleads in claim about immigrants, crime", "Matt Gaetz runs for U.S. Congress, blasts 'illegal immigrants' and 'Muslim terrorists', "GOP Lawmaker Matt Gaetz Slams Haiti: 'Sheet Metal And Garbage' Everywhere You Look", "Did Democrats, or George Soros, Fund Migrant Caravan? [263][264][265], On April 6, 2021, The New York Times reported that in the last weeks of the Trump administration, Gaetz privately requested a blanket presidential pardon for himself and others, which was reportedly denied because it would set a bad precedent. He claimed that the decision was an example of "judicial activism" that posed "a threat to our democracy". A field officer for the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles declared there was no evidence that Gaetz refused a breathalyzer test, despite the arresting police officer having documented it in an affidavit and the arrest report and Gaetz's own attorney also having documented it. [180] PolitiFact rated the claim "mostly false", noting that "experts were universal in saying that the evidence that Medicaid expansion is somehow fueling the opioid crisis doesn't exist."[180]. [210][211], Gaetz voted against Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. [53], In February 2020, Gaetz announced that he would no longer accept campaign contributions from federal political action committees. It's All Part of the Plan", "Local feelings on same-sex marriage ruling mixed", Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, "Roll Call 513 | Bill Number: H. R. 8404", "House passes antitrust bill that hikes M&A fees as larger efforts targeting tech have stalled", "H.R. [225][243] This allegedly began on March 16, with a text message to his father demanding money in exchange for making sex trafficking allegations "go away". [192], On December 4, 2020, Gaetz attended an indoor New York Young Republicans Club conference in Jersey City, New Jersey, during a period of surging COVID-19 cases throughout the state and the country. Hugh_Lebowski: Jun 2021 #2: yeah, I didn't get that either, who was the Green Beret? [39], In 2013, Gaetz announced that, in 2016, he would run for the 1st district State Senate seat held by his father, Don Gaetz, who was term-limited in 2016. In addition to denying the allegations about his relationship with a 17-year-old girl, Gaetz denied a previously unreported claim that he had been photographed "with child prostitutes", and said that a friend of his (whom Carlson had supposedly met) had been urged by the FBI to claim Gaetz was "involved in some pay-for-play scheme". Matt Gaetz Revealed He Had a Teenage Son in June 2020. By Frances Langum June 23, 2021. Anglin later reported that Gaetz fumbled for his license and . Rittenhouse was arrested and charged with first-degree intentional homicide,[167][168] but was acquitted based on self-defense in November 2021. but they are helping companies or entities which work with or for the China military. But you weren't interested in whether the Russians interfered through Steeleand if Steele was lying, then you should have charged him with lying like you charged a variety of other people. [242] Gaetz's phone was also seized, and he changed his phone number in late December. Murphy also said state officials were investigating whether the event violated the state's COVID-19 regulations. 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