Lawyer for teenager at center of Matt Gaetz investigation speaks out

 

John Clune, the attorney representing the young woman at the center of the House investigation into former Representative Matt Gaetz, has called on Republicans to release the committee's findings. The probe examined allegations involving Gaetz, including potential sexual misconduct, drug use, acceptance of improper gifts, and obstruction of government investigations. 

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday his intention to nominate Gaetz, a Florida Republican and close ally, as attorney general. The decision has sparked widespread shock and skepticism in Washington, with doubts about whether Gaetz could secure enough Republican support for Senate confirmation.

The House Ethics Committee previously investigated accusations linking Gaetz to a scheme involving the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl. While Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has not faced criminal charges, the committee was nearing a decision on whether to release its findings before Gaetz’s surprise resignation from Congress, announced shortly after Trump’s nomination.

Gaetz's resignation complicates the release of the Ethics Committee’s report. He has argued that the committee’s jurisdiction applies only to sitting members of Congress. However, several senators, who will vote on Gaetz’s confirmation, have demanded the report's publication.

On Thursday, Clune took to X (formerly Twitter) to press for transparency. "Mr. Gaetz's likely nomination as Attorney General is a perverse development in a truly dark series of events," Clune wrote. "We would support the House Ethics Committee immediately releasing their report. She was a high school student, and there were witnesses."

Senator Dick Durbin, the Democratic chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, echoed Clune’s call, expressing concern about the timing of Gaetz's resignation. “We cannot allow this valuable information from a bipartisan investigation to be hidden from the American people,” Durbin stated. 

Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who faces reelection, has also called for the report's release, stating he "absolutely" wants to review its contents before considering Gaetz’s confirmation.

This development follows Trump’s recent cabinet announcements after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election. While some picks, like Senator Marco Rubio for secretary of state, have received bipartisan praise, others, including Gaetz, Fox News host Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, and former Representative Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, have faced significant criticism.