A Republican senator angry over Matt Gaetz’s efforts to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker claimed Wednesday that Gaetz was widely disliked in his party and shunned after bragging about his sexual escapades.
Markwayne Mullin, who represents Oklahoma, said Gaetz shared video footage of the women he slept with.
In the final months of the Trump administration, the Justice Department opened an investigation into allegations that Gaetz trafficked a 17-year-old for sex. The existence of the investigation was confirmed in March 2021.
Mullin, a McCarthy supporter, said that when the allegations against Gaetz surfaced in early 2021, “the media didn’t budge.” [him] at the time of day” because he was not seen as an important figure.
Mullin also noted that none of his colleagues defended him at the time.
“And there’s a reason no one in Congress came and defended him: because we had all seen the videos that he showed in the House of Representatives – which we had all walked away from – of the girls he had slept with,” Mullin said CNN.
Markwayne Mullin, a senator from Oklahoma, told CNN on Wednesday that Matt Gaetz showed a video of the women he slept with and bragged about his exploits
Gaetz, 41, disputed Mullin’s claim, saying it was a “lie” told by someone who barely knew him
“He bragged about how he destroyed ED drugs and wolfed them down with energy drinks so he could last all night.”
“That was obviously before he got married.”
Gaetz, 41, married his girlfriend Ginger Luckey in August 2021 after meeting at a party at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Mullin also repeated the oft-voiced criticism of Gaetz as an attention seeker.
“Suddenly he became famous for opposing the speaker of the House of Representatives in November,” he said.
“And he always stayed there. And he would never leave until he had that final moment of glory…in pursuing an eviction request.”
In a statement to CNN, which host Anderson Cooper later read on air, Gaetz disputed Mullin’s claims of inappropriate behavior.
“I don’t think Markwayne Mullin and I exchanged 20 words in the House,” Gaetz said.
“This is a lie from someone who doesn’t know me and is dealing with the end of his friend Kevin’s political career. Thoughts and prayers.”
Gaetz is pictured with his wife Ginger on January 1, 2022. They married in August 2021, shortly after the Justice Department’s investigation into sex trafficking allegations was made public
The Justice Department’s investigation into allegations of sex trafficking and sex with minors was closed in February as prosecutors concluded they did not have enough evidence to file charges.
But Gaetz still faces a House committee investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, use of illegal drugs and misuse of funds.
Gaetz has argued that the two-year, wide-ranging investigation into his behavior was the work of McCarthy and his allies, who he said were out to vilify him.
McCarthy again insisted on Monday that he could not block the Gaetz investigation: On Tuesday, after he was ousted, McCarthy said it was because Gaetz had a personal dislike for him.
Gaetz said Tuesday that was “an urban legend” and angrily denied taking action against McCarthy as revenge for McCarthy’s failure to block the ethics investigation.
Matt Gaetz on Tuesday denied taking action against Kevin McCarthy as revenge for McCarthy’s failure to block an ethics investigation into him
Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz led the rebellion against Kevin McCarthy
When asked by Fox News host Laura Ingraham whether he turned to McCarthy out of revenge, Gaetz replied: “That’s completely false.”
He added: “I am the most scrutinized man in the entire United States Congress.”
“I have been cleared by the FBI, the DOJ and the Federal Election Commission. And me too -‘
When Ingraham pressed him about his dislike of McCarthy, Gaetz replied, “That’s an urban legend.”
He then discussed McCarthy’s claim that Gaetz and his allies were not true conservatives and angrily defended his tireless fundraising amid the chaos.
“People immediately see how your fundraisers are committed to this. They collect money. “It’s chaos right now,” Ingraham said.
Gaetz responded testily: “Yes, can I just speak here?” I am the only Republican in the entire United States Congress who does not accept lobbyist money or PAC money.
“So absolutely, I communicate extensively with regular Americans on a daily basis.”
“Because the only way I can advance my political goals is for regular people to give me $10, $20, $30.”
“And that’s why I’m not going to let the likes of people who run three lobby fundraisers as a day’s money and trade favors to get money from special interest lecture me about the way I raise money.”
“And I am deeply offended by anyone who criticizes the mailman, the active duty military member, the grandmother who believes in me and goes to Matt gaetz.com and donates.”
“In fact, I hope they do that now, and I’m not sorry at all because I’m not going to take the lobbyist and PAC money like everyone else.”
In a final remark about McCarthy, he also boasted about his close relationship with fellow Floridian Donald Trump and said McCarthy would not be welcome at a Trump rally.
Former President Donald Trump and Rep. Matt Gaetz are close – the two are seen above at a November 2019 campaign rally in Florida
“I would say that my conversations with the former president make me confident that I’m doing the right thing,” Rep. Matt Gaetz said of his conversations with Donald Trump
Trump remains the de facto leader of the Republicans and is the absolute frontrunner for the 2024 nomination.
“I support President Trump and am committed to campaigning with him,” Gaetz said.
“I’ll probably keep our private conversations to ourselves, but I’m in good hands with the former president.”
“You know who you won’t see campaigning at a big rally: Kevin McCarthy.”
“Because if Kevin McCarthy took the stage at a Trump rally, he would be booed like Lindsey Graham.”
McCarthy has confirmed he will not run again for House speaker after he was ousted from the post on Tuesday in a historic vote sparked by a turbulent civil war in the Republican Party.
He made the announcement Tuesday evening, just hours after eight Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in an effort to oust him from his leadership post.
“I will not run for speaker again,” McCarthy said in a nearly hour-long news conference that went from combative to laughing.
“I may have lost the vote today. But when I leave this room, I feel fortunate to have served the American people,” he said.
“I leave the speakership with a sense of pride and accomplishment. And yes, optimism.”
In his remarks, he criticized the Democrats, especially their long-time leader Nancy Pelosi, and his arch-enemy Gaetz, who took the initiative to remove him from the speaker’s office.
McCarthy’s bombshell decision will open the floodgates for Republican candidates and could spark weeks of unrest within the party as Congress faces a Nov. 17 deadline to prevent another government shutdown.
House Republicans met behind closed doors Tuesday night to discuss the fallout from the historic vote that resulted in McCarthy, R-Calif., becoming the first speaker in the 234-year history of the U.S. Congress to be elected by a The gavel was taken away from fellow legislators.