Howard Kurtz: If the Ethics Report Was Released While Gaetz Was Running for A.G., It Would’ve Quickly Ended His Nomination

KURTZ The Wall Street ░░░░░░░░ s conservative editorial page ░░░░░░░░ praising Republican senators for ░░░░░░░░ the nomination of Matt ░░░░░░░░ as attorney general saying ░░░░░░░░ not only helped the ░░░░░░░░ but Trump as well ░░░░░░░░ devastating House Ethics Committee ░░░░░░░░ says the Journal vindicates ░░░░░░░░ skeptical GOP lawmakers Quote ░░░░░░░░ Senate s advise and ░░░░░░░░ role is to protect ░░░░░░░░ country from unfit nominees ░░░░░░░░ doing that job well ░░░░░░░░ senators can also protect ░░░░░░░░ Trump from his worst ░░░░░░░░ The former congressman explained ░░░░░░░░ he withdrew his bid ░░░░░░░░ the run the Justice ░░░░░░░░ at a Turning Point ░░░░░░░░ conference Clip starts Gaetz ░░░░░░░░ saw the writing on ░░░░░░░░ wall in that my ░░░░░░░░ would cause a delay ░░░░░░░░ the important work that ░░░░░░░░ see ahead And that ░░░░░░░░ because there remain anti ░░░░░░░░ forces within the Republican ░░░░░░░░ in the United States ░░░░░░░░ And President Trump needs ░░░░░░░░ attorney general on day ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends KURTZ Now ░░░░░░░░ were legitimate questions about ░░░░░░░░ timing here although the ░░░░░░░░ doesn t seem interested ░░░░░░░░ that Why release the ░░░░░░░░ now when Gaetz has ░░░░░░░░ resigned from Congress And ░░░░░░░░ have to point out ░░░░░░░░ prosecutors investigated this whole ░░░░░░░░ and brought no charges ░░░░░░░░ the Florida Republican The ░░░░░░░░ report found substantial evidence ░░░░░░░░ Gaetz committed statutory rape ░░░░░░░░ sleeping with a 17 ░░░░░░░░ old The report says ░░░░░░░░ generally paid 400 for ░░░░░░░░ women to come to ░░░░░░░░ or New York for ░░░░░░░░ encounters that he took ░░░░░░░░ illegal drugs as cocaine ░░░░░░░░ ecstasy that he accepted ░░░░░░░░ gifts that he violated ░░░░░░░░ and state laws Gaetz ░░░░░░░░ one woman 5 000 ░░░░░░░░ two years according to ░░░░░░░░ report Another said the ░░░░░░░░ of drugs impaired her ░░░░░░░░ to fully consent Matt ░░░░░░░░ posted this In my ░░░░░░░░ days I often sent ░░░░░░░░ to women I dated ░░░░░░░░ never had sexual contact ░░░░░░░░ someone under 18 Any ░░░░░░░░ that I would have ░░░░░░░░ have been destroyed in ░░░░░░░░ which is why no ░░░░░░░░ claim was ever made ░░░░░░░░ court It s embarrassing ░░░░░░░░ not criminal that I ░░░░░░░░ partied womanized drank and ░░░░░░░░ more than I should ░░░░░░░░ earlier in life Liberal ░░░░░░░░ quickly piled on Clip ░░░░░░░░ PHANG The results that ░░░░░░░░ come from this investigation ░░░░░░░░ emphasize the adjective that ░░░░░░░░ re salacious but they ░░░░░░░░ criminal in nature O ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump made the ░░░░░░░░ inappropriate choice of attorney ░░░░░░░░ in history JENNINGS I ░░░░░░░░ t make much of ░░░░░░░░ because most of details ░░░░░░░░ most of the stories ░░░░░░░░ we heard we already ░░░░░░░░ I mean a lot ░░░░░░░░ this stuff was already ░░░░░░░░ in the public domain ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends KURTZ Fox ░░░░░░░░ mainly stuck to straight ░░░░░░░░ reports with a couple ░░░░░░░░ exceptions Clip starts HEMINGWAY ░░░░░░░░ of Justice looked into ░░░░░░░░ They don t like ░░░░░░░░ Gaetz about as much ░░░░░░░░ a lot of people ░░░░░░░░ the Hill don t ░░░░░░░░ Matt Gaetz and they ░░░░░░░░ that the allegations were ░░░░░░░░ lacking in credibility Clip ░░░░░░░░ KURTZ I think it ░░░░░░░░ fair to say this ░░░░░░░░ the unanimous Ethics report ░░░░░░░░ released while Gaetz was ░░░░░░░░ in the running for ░░░░░░░░ it would is have ░░░░░░░░ ended his nomination battle.”