Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who’s currently in the spotlight of the House Ethics Committee, didn’t hold back during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday.
Gaetz, known for his close ties to former President Donald Trump, openly expressed his surprise at facing scrutiny from the Ethics Committee despite his vocal calls for genuine ethics reforms. Reports suggest that the committee is looking into allegations against Gaetz related to sex crimes, following the closure of a previous Justice Department investigation without charges. That investigation focused on whether Gaetz paid for sex and attended parties with underage teens overseas.
Gaetz vehemently asserts his innocence, painting the Ethics Committee’s probe as payback for his efforts to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
In his CPAC session titled “Burning Down the House,” Gaetz shifted gears to criticize House Ethics Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) over his stock trading activities, which were disclosed in financial reports. Gaetz argued that members of Congress shouldn’t be allowed to trade individual stocks, drawing a parallel to umpires betting on games.
Guest’s team didn’t respond immediately to requests for comment. It’s worth noting that Guest had previously disclosed a family stock he had overlooked, for which he paid a fine. However, Gaetz chose to focus solely on Guest’s recent stock trading, overlooking the past issue.
Gaetz made it clear that he’s willing to critique fellow Republicans, emphasizing his preference for targeting Democrats but indicating his readiness to challenge Republicans whom he perceives to be acting similarly.
