FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Contact: Emily Phelps | press@indivisible.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, following reports that Trump has named Matt Gaetz to lead the Department of Justice — the same agency that investigated Gaetz for the sex trafficking of an underage girl — Sarah Dohl, Chief Campaigns Officer and co-founder of Indivisible, released the following statement:
“For fuck’s sake. Putting Matt Gaetz in charge of the Department of Justice is like handing a matchbook to an arsonist and asking him to protect the forest. This is a man who’s been investigated for sex trafficking a minor, attended drug-fueled parties with underage girls and is still under House Ethics investigation for sexual misconduct. This isn’t just a reckless choice; it’s a calculated move to dismantle the DOJ and turn it into Trump’s personal revenge squad.
“Gaetz’s track record of behavior should disqualify him from any public office, let alone one with the power to prosecute and protect. He’s allegedly shown videos of his ‘conquests’ to colleagues on the House floor, boasted about crushing erectile dysfunction pills with energy drinks to ‘go all night,’ and has been publicly denounced by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who said he ‘doesn’t hang around with pedophiles.’ This is the man Trump wants as our nation’s top law enforcement officer.
“Gaetz’s loyalty to Trump is fueled by their shared contempt for accountability and the rule of law. Under Gaetz, we’re looking at a DOJ twisted into Trump’s personal hit squad—a DOJ that punishes civil servants and steamrolls justice for Trump’s petty grievances.
“Matt Gaetz doesn’t belong at the helm of the Justice Department. He belongs as far away from it as possible—preferably in a jail cell.”
SOURCES:
While this fantastic article from Mark Joseph Stern at Slate does a wonderful job of summarizing the danger of Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, our lawyer suggested that we may want to pull out some of the key sources:
- Sex Trafficking Allegations: Gaetz was investigated by the Department of Justice in 2021 for allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a 17-year-old girl and paying her to travel with him. Multiple women reportedly testified that they saw Gaetz at drug-fueled parties with the 17-year-old.
- Friend’s Testimony and Conviction: Gaetz’s friend, Joel Greenberg, implicated him in paying for sex with a minor. Greenberg later received an 11-year prison sentence on felony charges, including sex trafficking of a minor.
- Sexual Misconduct on the House Floor: Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin reported that Gaetz showed videos of “girls he had slept with” to colleagues in Congress, boasting about his exploits, including his habit of combining erectile dysfunction medication with energy drinks to “go all night.”
- “I Don’t Hang Out with Pedophiles”: Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy publicly distanced himself from Gaetz, reportedly saying, “I don’t hang around with pedophiles” when asked about their relationship.
- Persistent House Ethics Investigation: Gaetz remains under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged sexual misconduct and other possible offenses.
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The Indivisible Project (501c4) is a social movement non-profit driven by a vision of a real democracy - of, by, and for the people. Indivisible began in 2016 as a viral guide to resisting Trump’s agenda. Today, the Indivisible movement is a network of thousands of local groups and millions of activists across every state. The Indivisible Project drives campaigns for bold progressive policies, lobbies Congress, and equips activists with tools to build lasting progressive power, everywhere. Together, we fight to defeat the right-wing takeover of American government and build an inclusive democracy.