On Sunday, ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy accused Rep. Matt Gaetz of attempting to involve him in “illegal activities,” which he alleged resulted in the push to remove him from his role as speaker last year.
McCarthy, a California Republican, was the House Speaker from January to October 2023. He led a narrow GOP majority amidst internal division between moderate and far-right caucus members. After a temporary funding deal with Democrats, Gaetz, a Florida Republican, moved to remove McCarthy as Speaker, resulting in the first such ouster by a floor vote in a Congressional session.
A similar move to remove the current GOP speaker, Representative Mike Johnson of Louisiana, was recently initiated by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican. However, she has described it more as a cautionary action following the approval of a $1.2 trillion government funding bill that she opposed.
He drew a clear distinction between the motions to remove current and past GOP speakers, underscoring that while Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s recent motion against Representative Mike Johnson might stem from policy disagreements, Gaetz’s motion against him had a more insidious motivation.
“The one thing I’ve always found, when you sit down with a member and talk to them, find out what their concerns are, especially when it’s based upon policy, you can solve that problem,” McCarthy conveyed, referencing his dealings with Greene. He continued, “Matt’s case was much different. It was about a personal thing that he had done, and that’s what he was trying to get something illegally stopped.”
McCarthy accused Gaetz of attempting to persuade him to illegitimately interfere with an ethics committee investigation—an investigation that probes allegations from 2021 involving Gaetz’s engagement in sexual misconduct, drug use, misuse of identification records, and other ethical breaches, as reported by The New York Times. Though Gaetz faced investigation by the Department of Justice over claims that he trafficked and had sexual relations with a minor, no charges were ultimately filed against him. Gaetz has vehemently maintained his innocence, dismissing the accusations as baseless efforts to defame him.
The ethics matter has been a long-standing point of contention. The House Ethics Committee, now under Republican leadership, has exhibited renewed vigor in investigating Gaetz, even seeking information from the DOJ and individuals connected to the allegations. Despite the DOJ concluding its investigation without bringing charges, the committee’s actions suggest a persistent pursuit of accountability.
McCarthy articulated that Gaetz’s move to oust him was not just rooted in policy or party ideology but rather a clandestine effort to shield himself from the repercussions of the ethics investigation. He stated, “I think the Ethics Committee, it was purely Matt coming to me, trying [to get] me to do something illegal to stop the Ethics Committee from moving forward [with] an investigation that was started long before I became speaker.”
Gaetz, who has been an emblematic figure in the saga leading to McCarthy’s ouster, has reportedly attributed the revival of the ethics probe to McCarthy, an accusation McCarthy firmly denies. As tensions continue to mount within the GOP ranks, McCarthy’s assertions contribute to the intricate mosaic of factionalism and personal grievances shaping the current political landscape.
Relevant articles:
– Kevin McCarthy Accuses Matt Gaetz of Pursuing ‘Something Illegal’
– Exclusive: House ethics probe of Gaetz seeks information from DOJ and woman who allegedly had sex with congressman as a minor, CNN, Wed, 24 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT
– Amid the Chaos in the House, Let’s Not Forget What Else Matt Gaetz Has Going On, Vogue, Fri, 06 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT
– House Speaker McCarthy defends leadership, says Gaetz has ‘personal’ issues, CNBC, Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT