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LetMyPeopleVote

(155,489 posts) Mon Dec 23, 2024, 09:23 AM Monday

Gaetz sues Ethics Committee in last-minute bid to block release of report

Source: The Hill

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Monday filed a lawsuit against the House Ethics Committee in a last-minute attempt to block the panel from releasing its report on the Florida Republican.

Gaetz, who resigned from Congress last month, filed the lawsuit as several outlets reported on leaked drafts of the Ethics Committee’s report, which CNN and CBS say found “substantial evidence” that the ex-congressman violated House rules or Florida state laws that prohibit prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges and obstruction of Congress.

The panel is expected to publicly release the report as early as Monday.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., asks a judge to issue an emergency order blocking the report’s release.

Gaetz claims the committee is acting beyond its authority because it has no jurisdiction over him now that he has resigned from Congress. Gaetz’s attorneys said the report contains “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his reputation.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5053397-gaetz-ethics-committee-lawsuit/

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14 replies

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Highlight:

Gaetz sues Ethics Committee in last-minute bid to block release of report (Original Post) LetMyPeopleVote Monday OP

If parts of it have been leaked, isn't too late for a law suit? Panic time for Gaetz? Deuxcents Monday #1

I can't help but think "the condom broke", if he ever used one... IthinkThereforeIAM Monday #9

Here's the 40 page court filing this morning from former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) LetMyPeopleVote Monday #2

Why?.... Lovie777 Monday #3

And THIS was trumps pick to be AG! BOSSHOG Monday #4

The ethics report has already been leaked LetMyPeopleVote Monday #5

'Damage his reputation'!!!!! 70sEraVet Monday #6

"...may damage his reputation". JohnnyRingo Monday #7

LOL. The court has already pointed out defects in this petition LetMyPeopleVote Monday #8

a glimpse into the quality of lawyering we'd wxpect if he were ag n/t rampartd Monday #11

Washington Examiner (right wing, I know) noted the defects, and that they may have sunk the injunction muriel_volestrangler Monday #12

Gaetz must have pissed off a lot of MAGAs for them to release this report. Irish_Dem Monday #10

Yes. Kaleva 6 hrs ago #14

Gaetz dropped his silly lawsuit LetMyPeopleVote 14 hrs ago #13

Deuxcents

(20,117 posts)

1. If parts of it have been leaked, isn't too late for a law suit? Panic time for Gaetz?

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 09:28 AM

Monday

IthinkThereforeIAM

(3,116 posts)

9. I can't help but think "the condom broke", if he ever used one...

Reply to Deuxcents (Reply #1)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 09:58 AM

Monday

... the "slime", is out of the bag.

(I know, not a nice thing to say, but...)

LetMyPeopleVote

(155,489 posts)

2. Here's the 40 page court filing this morning from former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 09:32 AM

Monday

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https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.275994/gov.uscourts.dcd.275994.1.0.pdf

Lovie777

(15,210 posts)

3. Why?....

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 09:32 AM

Monday

He’s a member of the Republican elites and a gold standard for unethical, harasser, rapist, sex with minors and many more lack of morals GQP which qualifies him as a member of the party and the Republicans love that.

BOSSHOG

(40,265 posts)

4. And THIS was trumps pick to be AG!

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 09:33 AM

Monday

Thanks Neighbors.

If I got a straight A report card I wouldn’t sue my parents to keep them from releasing it. However, bad example. That report card never happened.

LetMyPeopleVote

(155,489 posts)

5. The ethics report has already been leaked

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 09:35 AM

Monday

Link to tweet

70sEraVet

(4,233 posts)

6. 'Damage his reputation'!!!!!

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 09:37 AM

Monday

JohnnyRingo

(19,416 posts)

7. "...may damage his reputation".

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 09:43 AM

Monday

Like how Helter Skelter made people think Manson was a criminal.

Everyone already knows Gaitz is a perverted creep. That's why he resigned.

LetMyPeopleVote

(155,489 posts)

8. LOL. The court has already pointed out defects in this petition

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 09:58 AM

Monday

Link to tweet

And to give you a sense of how rushed this suit was:
1) They forgot to serve DOJ
2) "House OR Representatives"
3) Forgot to make a separate motion for TRO

rampartd

(857 posts)

11. a glimpse into the quality of lawyering we'd wxpect if he were ag n/t

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Reply #8)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 10:17 AM

Monday

muriel_volestrangler

(102,693 posts)

12. Washington Examiner (right wing, I know) noted the defects, and that they may have sunk the injunction

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Reply #8)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 11:59 AM

Monday

The effort was unsuccessful, as the report was released to the public hours later.
...
The lawsuit was apparently filed quickly, as the filing contained several spelling and technical errors. The technical errors may have proven fatal, allowing the panel to proceed with releasing the report.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/3268758/gaetz-tried-sue-house-ethics-committee-releasing-report/

Irish_Dem

(59,651 posts)

10. Gaetz must have pissed off a lot of MAGAs for them to release this report.

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 10:10 AM

Monday

Kaleva

(38,538 posts)

14. Yes.

Reply to Irish_Dem (Reply #10)

Wed Dec 25, 2024, 01:47 AM

6 hrs ago

LetMyPeopleVote

(155,489 posts)

13. Gaetz dropped his silly lawsuit

Reply to LetMyPeopleVote (Original post)

Tue Dec 24, 2024, 05:09 PM

14 hrs ago

This was a very stupid lawsuit

Link to tweet

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5054338-gaetz-lawsuit-ethics-report/

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) dropped his eleventh-hour lawsuit seeking to block the release of his House Ethics Committee report since the committee distributed it publicly.

The report, released Monday, found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz paid a 17-year-old high school student for sex when he was 35, used illicit drugs like cocaine and ecstasy and obstructed Congress’s investigation into his conduct.

Gaetz filed a federal lawsuit earlier in the day attempting to block the report’s release, insisting the committee had no jurisdiction over him since the Florida Republican resigned from Congress.

“Due to the Defendant’s unprecedented and procedurally defective decision to publicize the Report that was the subject of Plaintiff’s Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order without notice to Plaintiff and while Defendants’ knew or reasonably should have known of this pending action, Plaintiff has now suffered irreversible and irreparable harm,” Gaetz attorney Jonathan Gross wrote in court filings after the committee made its report public.

“As such, Plaintiff concurs that the instant action has been mooted and the Court now lacks subject matter jurisdiction to order the previously requested relief,” Gross continued.

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