President-elect Donald Trump is dead serious about appointing him attorney general. Speaker Mike Johnson vows to bury a critical House Ethics Committee report on his alleged personal misconduct. But still expect this to be a very uncomfortable week for former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
There is new pressure to reveal details from investigations focusing on allegations of underage sex and drug use by the Florida Republican as a potentially tawdry and dramatic confirmation battle takes shape.
First, an attorney representing two women who testified to both federal and House Ethics investigators about Gaetz’s alleged misdeeds is offering new details about what his clients told investigators. Attorney Joel Leppard will give multiple network TV interviews Monday as he pushes for the release of the House Ethics report, and he gave Playbook a sneak peek last night:
– His clients, he said, told investigators that they attended more than five and as many as 10 “sex parties” with Gaetz between the summer of 2017 and the end of 2018, during his first term in the House of Representatives. At those parties, they testified, there were “group sex situations” and illegal drugs were present.
— One of Leppard’s clients told investigators she witnessed Gaetz “having sex with her girlfriend,” who was a minor at the time, against what she remembered as some sort of gaming table, Leppard said.
Gaetz has strongly and repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The federal investigation in which Leppard’s clients participated ended without charges against Gaetz, according to his lawyers and Justice Department officials.
But Leppard — and many on Capitol Hill — believe that the lack of a criminal indictment is a much lower bar than any future attorney general would have to meet, and they are looking to the as-yet-unpublished House Ethics report for further guidance. to provide details. Leppard said his media blitz is aimed at protecting his unnamed clients, who have not ruled out coming forward in the future.
“Ultimately, I hope it puts a lot of pressure on the panel to release the report,” he said. “My clients have been through this several times and really don’t want to testify again, especially on the floor of the Senate.”
When asked about the allegations, a spokesperson for the candidate AG referred to the current AG: “Merrick Garland’s DOJ has cleared Matt Gaetz and charged him no charges. Are you saying Garland is part of a cover-up?”
Meanwhile, Democrats charged with vetting Trump’s nominees are privately exploring how to gather more information about the sexual misconduct allegations affecting both Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for defense secretary who reportedly paid a settlement to a woman who accused him of sexual abuse. (Like Gaetz, Hegseth has strongly denied wrongdoing.)
Importantly, Democrats are discussing what they can do now while they hold the committee gavels and subpoenas, which they will give up when the new Congress starts in January.
On the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democratic members have discussed requesting the FBI file on Gaetz, which could include records of any interviews conducted as part of the now-closed investigation. They will likely do this before the end of the year, knowing that Trump could order these materials to be withheld once he comes to power.
They are also considering contacting the attorney for the woman who told the House Ethics Committee that Gaetz had sex with her when she was a minor. That attorney, John Clune, last week called for the report to be released “immediately.”
Public hearings are not currently being considered, but Democrats say behind-the-scenes conversations with the women’s representatives — or possibly interviews with women themselves — could serve as preparation for confirmation season if the Republican Party were to circle the wagons around Trump’s nominees.
Even in the minority, Democrats will have the right to call witnesses during confirmation hearings, and they are discussing the possibility of calling the women to testify if they are willing.
“We should gather all the objective and relevant evidence necessary to assess the confidence, character and moral compass of each nominee,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), who serves on the Judiciary panels power and the armed forces. “And if these materials are denied or concealed, and if witnesses with relevant information are willing to come forward, they should be given the opportunity to do so.”
That, Blumenthal added, includes the woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault and subsequently signed a non-disclosure agreement.
“A private secrecy agreement should be undermined by an armed forces hearing on the confirmation of a candidate,” he said. “And we expect any nominee to waive their confidentiality rights.”
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