Matt Gaetz Experiences Increasing Pressure
The prospective attorney general is experiencing increased pressure this week from both his accusers and Senate Democrats.
TroibNews 
President-elect Donald Trump is fully committed to making him the attorney general. Speaker Mike Johnson is vowing to bury a significant House Ethics Committee report regarding allegations of personal misconduct against him. Furthermore, former Rep. Matt Gaetz should brace himself for a challenging week ahead.
New pressure is mounting to disclose details from investigations that focus on allegations of underage sex and drug use involving the Florida Republican, as a potentially scandalous confirmation battle looms.
An attorney representing two women who testified to federal and House Ethics investigators about Gaetz's alleged misdeeds is stepping forward with fresh details regarding what his clients reported. Lawyer Joel Leppard is scheduled to participate in several network TV interviews on Monday as he advocates for the release of the House Ethics report, and he provided Playbook with an advance look at his statements:
— His clients informed investigators that they attended between five and ten “sex parties” with Gaetz from the summer of 2017 until the end of 2018, during his first term in the House. At those parties, they claimed there were “group sex situations” and illegal drugs.
— One of Leppard’s clients recounted witnessing Gaetz “having sex with her friend,” who was underage at the time, reportedly on some kind of game table, according to Leppard.
Gaetz has strongly and consistently denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers and Justice Department officials note that the federal investigation, which involved Leppard’s clients, concluded without any charges against Gaetz.
However, Leppard—and numerous individuals on Capitol Hill—contend that the absence of criminal charges does not meet the standards expected of a potential attorney general. They are looking to the unpublished House Ethics report to shed more light on the matter. Leppard expressed that his media outreach aims to advocate for 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 stated. “My clients have already been through this several times and they really, really do not want to testify again, especially not on the floor of the Senate.”
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for the AG-designate referenced the current AG: “Merrick Garland’s DOJ cleared Matt Gaetz and didn’t charge him. Are you alleging Garland is part of a cover up?"
Meanwhile, Democrats tasked with vetting Trump’s nominees are discreetly exploring how to acquire more information regarding the sexual misconduct allegations faced by both Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice for Defense secretary, who is alleged to have settled a claim with a woman who accused him of sexual assault.
Crucially, Democrats are deliberating on actions they can take while they retain committee leadership and subpoena powers, which they will lose when the new Congress begins in January.
On the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democratic members have talked about requesting the FBI file on Gaetz, which may include records from any interviews conducted during the now-closed investigation. They aim to do this before the year concludes, aware that Trump might order those materials to be withheld upon taking office.
They are also contemplating reaching out to the attorney representing the woman who informed the House Ethics Committee about her sexual encounter with Gaetz when she was a minor. This lawyer, John Clune, demanded that the report be released “immediately” last week.
While public hearings are not being considered at this time, Democrats have indicated that behind-the-scenes discussions with the women’s representatives—or possibly interviews with the women themselves—could serve as groundwork for the upcoming confirmation process, particularly if the GOP rallies around Trump's nominees.
Even as the minority party, Democrats will still have the opportunity to call witnesses during confirmation hearings, and they are discussing the potential for inviting the women to testify, should they be willing.
“We ought to be marshaling all of the objective and relevant evidence necessary to assess the confidence, character and moral compass of each nominee,” stated Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who is a member of the Judiciary and Armed Services panels. “And if those materials are denied, or concealed, and if witnesses with relevant information are willing to come forward, they should be given an opportunity to do so.”
This, Blumenthal emphasized, includes the woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault and subsequently signed a nondisclosure agreement.
“A private agreement on nondisclosure should be preempted by an Armed Services hearing on the confirmation of a nominee,” he remarked. “And we would expect any nominee to waive any rights under nondisclosure.”
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Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
New pressure is mounting to disclose details from investigations that focus on allegations of underage sex and drug use involving the Florida Republican, as a potentially scandalous confirmation battle looms.
An attorney representing two women who testified to federal and House Ethics investigators about Gaetz's alleged misdeeds is stepping forward with fresh details regarding what his clients reported. Lawyer Joel Leppard is scheduled to participate in several network TV interviews on Monday as he advocates for the release of the House Ethics report, and he provided Playbook with an advance look at his statements:
— His clients informed investigators that they attended between five and ten “sex parties” with Gaetz from the summer of 2017 until the end of 2018, during his first term in the House. At those parties, they claimed there were “group sex situations” and illegal drugs.
— One of Leppard’s clients recounted witnessing Gaetz “having sex with her friend,” who was underage at the time, reportedly on some kind of game table, according to Leppard.
Gaetz has strongly and consistently denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers and Justice Department officials note that the federal investigation, which involved Leppard’s clients, concluded without any charges against Gaetz.
However, Leppard—and numerous individuals on Capitol Hill—contend that the absence of criminal charges does not meet the standards expected of a potential attorney general. They are looking to the unpublished House Ethics report to shed more light on the matter. Leppard expressed that his media outreach aims to advocate for 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 stated. “My clients have already been through this several times and they really, really do not want to testify again, especially not on the floor of the Senate.”
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for the AG-designate referenced the current AG: “Merrick Garland’s DOJ cleared Matt Gaetz and didn’t charge him. Are you alleging Garland is part of a cover up?"
Meanwhile, Democrats tasked with vetting Trump’s nominees are discreetly exploring how to acquire more information regarding the sexual misconduct allegations faced by both Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, Trump’s choice for Defense secretary, who is alleged to have settled a claim with a woman who accused him of sexual assault.
Crucially, Democrats are deliberating on actions they can take while they retain committee leadership and subpoena powers, which they will lose when the new Congress begins in January.
On the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democratic members have talked about requesting the FBI file on Gaetz, which may include records from any interviews conducted during the now-closed investigation. They aim to do this before the year concludes, aware that Trump might order those materials to be withheld upon taking office.
They are also contemplating reaching out to the attorney representing the woman who informed the House Ethics Committee about her sexual encounter with Gaetz when she was a minor. This lawyer, John Clune, demanded that the report be released “immediately” last week.
While public hearings are not being considered at this time, Democrats have indicated that behind-the-scenes discussions with the women’s representatives—or possibly interviews with the women themselves—could serve as groundwork for the upcoming confirmation process, particularly if the GOP rallies around Trump's nominees.
Even as the minority party, Democrats will still have the opportunity to call witnesses during confirmation hearings, and they are discussing the potential for inviting the women to testify, should they be willing.
“We ought to be marshaling all of the objective and relevant evidence necessary to assess the confidence, character and moral compass of each nominee,” stated Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who is a member of the Judiciary and Armed Services panels. “And if those materials are denied, or concealed, and if witnesses with relevant information are willing to come forward, they should be given an opportunity to do so.”
This, Blumenthal emphasized, includes the woman who accused Hegseth of sexual assault and subsequently signed a nondisclosure agreement.
“A private agreement on nondisclosure should be preempted by an Armed Services hearing on the confirmation of a nominee,” he remarked. “And we would expect any nominee to waive any rights under nondisclosure.”
Like this content? Sign up for PMG's Playbook newsletter.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
