Tag: gaetz

$1.8 million raised by Matt Gatez during first quarter of 2021

Matt Gaetz

Matt Gaetz now faces scandal and is being investigated regarding sex trafficking and possibly other federal crimes.

In the first quarter of 2021, Matt Gaetz was riding high on campaign fundraising, picking up $1.8 million in the first quarter of 2021.

Matt Gaetz, of Fort Walton Beach, collected more than twice as much campaign money as any other Florida member of Congress in the three-month reporting period of January, February, and March.

In fact, it was one of the most impressive first-quarter hauls in all of Congress. In Florida, Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Stuart collected $749,000, Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Miami drew $525,000, and five others (three Democrats and two Republicans) managed more than $300,000.

Matt Gaetz’s first-quarter report to the Federal Election Commission shows he entered the first quarter of 2021 by rolling over $1.6 million left from his previous election cycle. He raised a little more than $1.8 million and spent a little more than $1.3 million. That left him with about $2 million in his campaign fund with which he can fight.

Since the scandal emerged, his campaign has been openly asking potential donors to send him money because of the allegations against him, contending he is something of a martyr, with some out to destroy loyal Trump supporters like him.

Before the scandal breaking, Gaetz had enjoyed a nearly open invitation to appear on several national conservative media networks such as Fox News and had developed a national base as one of the staunchest and most fiery supporters of former President Donald Trump and his make America great again movement. That base embraced him with money.

Only 11 of the other 434 members of the House raised more money than Gaetz during the quarter. They mostly include congressional leaders  such as Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, or partisan lightning rods for the left or right wings, such as Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Among itemized donations, Gaetz’s campaign collected $7,420 on the day after the report, March 31. That was an above-average daily receipt, but nowhere near impressive. The campaign details $28,000 raised on Jan. 14 and more than $10,000 on each of eight other days in the three-month period.

As happened with his 2020 election campaign, Gaetz drew well from outside Florida in the first quarter of 2021, at least based on his itemized donations. He collected $87,000 from itemized Florida contributors, about 21% of the itemized total for the period. He got $67,000 from California donors and $45,000 from Texas.

Gaetz’s campaign also spent more than $1.3 million during the quarter.

Investigation into Gaetz scandal launched by House Ethics Committee

Scandal

On Friday The House Ethics Committee had said that it dispatched an examination concerning Rep. Matt Gaetz. The troubled Florida Republican, Matt Gaetz who was already facing a federal criminal sex-trafficking probe.

In articulation, the morals panel said it knows about open charges that Gaetz “may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use.”

The board likewise noticed that Matt Gaetz is affirmed to have “shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct.”

The 38 year old Florida Republican energetically kept bad behavior since the Department from getting Justice’s examination originally became visible a week ago. He has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Matt Gaetz’s office told CNBC in response to the new ethics probe that; “Once again, the office will reiterate, these allegations are blatantly false and have not been validated by a single human being willing to put their name behind them.”

The Democrat-led morals board additionally uncovered Friday that it has started a test into Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., referring to claims of a conceivable sexual offense. On March 2021, Reed apologized to a woman who accused him of rubbing her back and unhooking her bra at a Minneapolis bar in 2017. Reed said he would not seek reelection in 2022.

Even though Reed’s office did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment, they addressed Politico regarding the matter.

“We have already publicly addressed this situation and consistent with that are cooperating with the House Ethics Committee to bring this matter to conclusion.”

Federal investigators are looking into whether Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her travels with him.

That test purportedly outgrew an examination concerning Gaetz’s partner Joel Greenberg, a previous area charge gatherer in Florida who is dealing with criminal indictments including sex trafficking of a minor, stalking, wire fraud, and identity theft.

Greenberg, a former county tax collector in Florida who is facing criminal charges including sex trafficking of a minor, stalking, wire fraud, and identity theft. However, he pleases not guilty of the charges.

In addition to that Mr. Greenberg’s lawyer and the prosecutors in his case told a judge Thursday that Greenberg is expected to strike a plea deal.

On Wednesday, NBC reported that the investigators are looking at whether women were paid to travel to the Bahamas with Gaetz for sex and whether Gaetz and Greenberg used the internet to look up women they could pay for sex.

Fritz Scheller, Greenberg’s attorney said on Thursday afternoon that “I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today,”.

Matt Gaetz declared this week he is “absolutely not resigning” from Congress. A staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, Gaetz has retained Marc Mukasey, a defense lawyer representing the Trump Organization, to represent him.

Gaetz career is over? – Matt’s sex scandal threatens his career

Gaetz

Gaetz’s rising scandal may be the reason for the end of his political career even though he refuses to resign from Congress.

On Wednesday, the news that Matt Gaetz may be responsible for a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old surfaced all over the internet. The Florida congressman who was the former president Donald Trump’s most visible advocate now has been tangled in a case that may damage his career. His attempts to explain himself only made the situation more confusing and less weighted on his end. The investigation regarding these accusations is now underway.

The Justice Department is reportedly investigating payments Gaetz and an indicted Florida politician, former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, made to women allegedly recruited online for sex. The investigation is also looking into whether Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

According to the Times, the investigation in question is centered around the recruitment of women for sex, and the FBI has questioned multiple women in an attempt to stitch together the nature of Gaetz’s involvement. The Times reviewed Cash App and Apple Pay receipts that showed payments from both Gaetz and Joel Greenberg, a former Florida official and initial focus of the investigation, to one of the women. People familiar with the investigation said that in 2019 and 2020 Gaetz and Greenberg would meet women recruited online at various locations, pay them in cash drawn from ATMs, and have sex with them. Some of them took ecstasy, including Gaetz, according to two people familiar with the meet-ups.

While Gaetz told the Journal he has no plans to step down, former Republican Rep. David Jolly of Florida thinks he may not have any other options. “These scandals hit a certain point where there’s no escape,” Jolly, who is no longer a member of the GOP, told the Journal, noting that Florida’s politicians are “assuming” Gaetz’s career is finished. “We’ve clearly hit that point for Matt in politics.”

Furthermore, the 17-year-old Gaetz may have had sex with and “trafficked” by paying for her to cross state lines. The Times reports that a sex-trafficking charge filed against Greenberg in August involves the same girl.