Today in Politics, Bulletin 33, 12/23/24
… Matt Gaetz was in full panic mode today, filing for an emergency injunction to attempt to block release of the House Ethics Committee report detailing his long pattern of criminal behavior. It did not work though, as the Committee posted the report online before a judge even read his emergency motion. Wonder how much he paid his lawyer for nothing.
… In the motion, Gaetz claimed that the Republican-controlled bipartisan committee failed to follow “constitutional notions of due process, and failure to adhere to its own procedural rules and precedent represents an unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections."
… Cry more.
… The motion was also so sloppy it looks like Gaetz did it himself. Despite seeking a restraining order, he failed to file a separate motion requesting one, which is required by the rules. He also never served DOJ with it electronically, which is one of the most basic requirements every first year law student learns.
… The report was leaked to CBS this morning, which published an article with some of the key points in it. The report said that he paid several women and a 17-year-old girl for sex and purchased and used illegal drugs, including from his Capitol Hill office. From the report:
"The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”
… Gaetz paid 12 different women a total of over $90,000 for sex during several years, which included a 2018 trip to the Bahamas where witnesses testified that he was on ecstasy and had sex with four women.
… The committee said it also received testimony that in 2017, Gaetz twice had sex with "Victim A," who was 17 years old at the time and had just completed her junior year in high school: "Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Rep. Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex. Victim A said that she did not inform Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age."
… The report also found that Gaetz’s girlfriend at the time served as his agent to find new young women off websites for Gaetz to have sex with for money. She also sometimes participated with them in sexual encounters.
… The Committee had one text from her to one of the women: “the guys (Gaetz and Joel Greenberg) wanted me to share that they are limited in their cash flow this weekend.” She said Gaetz wanted to know if the women would have sex that weekend for free as part of a “customer appreciation week.”
… American Bridge’s Monica Venzke: “There’s not enough talk about how Matt Gaetz was making them fly Spirit Airlines.”
… Ann Coulter’s reaction: “Well, this isn’t good.”
… Who were the mystery Republicans who voted with Democrats to release the Gaetz report? Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) released a statement that it wasn’t him. It is highly unusual for anyone on the secret committee to release any information on their deliberations or actions. The Committee will never reveal that for obvious reasons - they are policing their own, and in this case MAGA activists and Trump will go after them bigly.
… Well, Axios is reporting that the two Republicans who voted with the 5 Democrats on the Committee to release the Gaetz ethics report were Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY). Something tells me that MAGA is not going to make their Christmas merry.
… At the same time they were releasing the Gaetz report, the Ethics Committee announced that they would not be conducting an investigation on Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) after he was charged with a misdemeanor for being intoxicated and disoriented in the Dulles Airport. The Committee noted VA prosecutors dropped the charges on December 13. I don’t have a problem with this one. If I was in Congress, I’d be found drunk in the Dulles Airport at least twice a month.
… Fox is reporting that Mike Johnson allies in the House are calling for Trump to intervene to save his job as Speaker. Rep. Carlos Giminez (R-FL): "If we have some kind of protracted fight where we can’t elect a speaker, then the speaker’s not elected and we’re not sworn in. And if we’re not sworn in, we can’t certify the election for Trump. I would hope that Trump would chime in and talk to those who are maybe a little hesitant, and say, ‘We’ve got to get going. We don’t have time.’"
… Giminez knows how to craft a message that appeals to Mango Mussolini.
… Rep Pat Fallon (R-TX): “It would be immensely helpful" if Trump got involved. "Any time would be great, but right after Christmas if Trump said, ‘You know, listen.’ It would even be really cool if somehow Mike Johnson ended up at Mar-a-Lago for Christmas - wherever the president is. I think it would be incredibly powerful." What a sad, pathetic, sycophantic party.
… I tend to think that Trump is tired of Johnson’s fecklessness, but I also think he likes the fact that he completely owns him where he only owned 70% of the shares of stock in Kevin McCarthy, with well-heeled DC lobbyists holding the remaining 30% of the McCarthy shares. I say Trump stays out of it or just posts a lukewarm Truth Social post that doesn’t move the needle for MAGA Mike.
… Kara Swisher was interviewed by The Washingtonian about whether talk of her buying the Washington Post with a group of investors from Jeff Bezos is serious: “I think so. The reporters are doing a great job. It’s the management that isn’t doing a good job. I just started talking to investors, and I realized I know just as many rich people as anybody. And I know who’s good and who has good intentions. Not that you want to rely on the kindness of rich people. Trust me, you don’t. But I was like, I bet I could put together a group of people here. And as I started talking, a lot of people were like, ‘If you do this, call me.’
… More Swisher: “I just would like the paper, if it’s going to be owned by rich people, I’d like it to be owned by rich people who like journalism. I’m not looking at it as, ‘Let’s make a ton of money here.’ Slightly profitable would be great. Break-even would be great.”
… Swisher then went on to explain the reason why she thinks that Bezos’s business interests collide with the interests of WaPo and why she thinks he has a much different attitude towards Trump this time around. It is my practice not to clutter this column up with external links, but this interview was so good I will make an exception on this article.
… In case you couldn’t tell, Swisher has been one of my heroes for a long time. Super smart, fearless, tons of integrity, keeps it real, no BS, authentic. Those kind of people are rare. Just one of the greats in my opinion. Much greater than many who are much more famous because they get more screen time on cable.
… Trump shocked MAGA by saying that he would endorse Republican Karrin Taylor Robson for Governor of Arizona if she runs. The familiar pattern followed of MAGA influencers slamming the pick, now Trump either walks it back after hearing from enough of them or chooses to ignore the noise because whatever deal he has behind the scenes to do this is too good to pass up.
… Laura Loomer: “Hey, President Trump. Why did you endorse Taylor Robson? Did none of your transition team ‘vetters’ let you know that Karrin was one of Ruben Gallego’s biggest bundlers? Why would a woman who raised money for Gallego who is pro open borders and pro mass amnesty get your endorsement? Gallego wanted you to be jailed and celebrated when you were indicted, and the woman you endorsed today was one of his biggest campaign fundraisers.”
… She then posted a screen shot from Ruben Gallego where he confirmed in a reply to someone else that Robson did major fundraising for him. And Trump just endorsed her to be the Republican nominee for governor of AZ in 2026. He might hear from Kari Lake on this one, in addition to Loomer. I know I wouldn’t want the two of them after me.
… Rand Paul put out his annual Christmas rant, which he calls his Festivus, in a lengthy thread on X. In it he addressed Chuck Schumer mocking him on the Senate floor Friday night after his amendment to raise the Social Security retirement age to 70 only got 3 votes: “Chuck was trying to joke with me that my amendment to fix Social Security only got 3 votes. Well Chuck, that’s 3 people who won’t be sad when you are no longer leader in January.”
… More Rand: “I don’t want to tell Mitch McConnell it’s time to retire, but his best job offer so far is a reboot of Tales from the Crypt.”
… President Biden commuted almost all the death sentences of federal inmates to life in prison (37 out of 40). Pope Francis reportedly lobbied Biden to make the commutations, per Vatican News. The three who did not have their death sentences commuted to life were the Boston Marathon Bomber, the mass murderers at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston and Tree of Life Synagogue.
… Democrats against capital punishment are applauding the commutations. Republicans are posting photos of murder victims, many of which were children, with blurbs detailing how they were killed with information about the inmate killers.
… The Republican talking point on the commutations: “Joe Biden did this to overcompensate for pardoning Hunter Biden.” The argument is basically that some anti-death penalty Democrats were not happy with the Hunter pardon so he did this to make them happy. Pretty weak stuff. Talking about the details of the crimes they committed is a hell of a lot more effective politically than bringing Hunter into it.
… But they bring Hunter into everything.
… Sen Tom Cotton said that Trump should reverse the commutations: “Contracts, wills, and other legal actions are null and void if a party is mentally incompetent, as Joe Biden obviously is. Congress and the Trump DOJ should investigate whether these pardons for depraved murderers are binding.” (Just to clarify, these are commutations from death to life, not pardons).
… Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve Michael Barr has reportedly sought legal counsel to prepare for the possibility that Trump may seek to fire the Biden appointee before his term expires in July 2026, according to a report by Reuters. The law provides that fed governors can only be fired from their terms early for “just cause,” but does not say whether the Chair or Vice Chair can be demoted by the president from those positions without cause.
… We are flying to Florida for family Christmas to see our 5 kids who still live where they were born and raised, and my parents, so no column until Friday night. My first time returning to Florida after moving to Maine in June. It will be great to see family again and go from 10 degrees and snow tomorrow to 76 and sunny. But that is the only thing I like about going back to Florida.
… Mitt Romney’s replacement in the Senate, Republican John Curtis, says he intends to follow in Romney’s footsteps and remain a voice independent from Trump in the party: “I got more votes than him in Utah. Does that give me a mandate? I think me speaking my mind and being up front makes the president a better president.”
… More Curtis: “Right now I’m reviewing his nominees and people keep forgetting the “advice” part of “advice and consent.” I cant advise the president unless I have investigated everything about these people. Anybody who wants to give me heat for doing my job, bring it on.”
… Yeah so, Trump isn’t interested in any of that. He expects obedience. Period. Curtis is in for a bumpy ride. We will see if he digs in and hold on to his principles or