Former Florida Congressman Says Best Thing Matt Gaetz Can Do Is ‘Shut Up, Hire a Lawyer, and Resign’

‘And that means don’t attend these conservative gatherings, don’t try to recover yourself in conservative circles’

Former Congressman David Jolly (R- FL) said Wednesday the best thing Congressman Matt Gaetz (R- FL) can do now is “shut up” and resign.

Gaetz is under DOJ investigation “over whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him,” the New York Times reported. Gaetz has denied the allegations and said his family was the victim of an extortion scheme.

Gaetz has spoken to a number of news outlets, most notably sitting down with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, and this week he is speaking at an event at Trump National Doral hosted by Women for America First.

Jolly, an MSNBC contributor, described Gaetz’s actions amid this scandal as “arrogance.”

He said on Deadline: White House, “I’ve said for a week now the best thing Matt Gaetz can do is shut up, hire a lawyer, and resign.”

“And that means don’t attend these conservative gatherings, don’t try to recover yourself in conservative circles,” he continued. “This is serious, this is grave, but he is ripping a page out of the Trump playbook.”

More recent reporting said Gaetz approached the Trump White House about a blanket pardons. The former president said in a statement earlier Wednesday, “Congressman Matt Gaetz has never asked me for a pardon.”

Jolly said Gaetz “very well might survive” if he’s not indicted, but added, “He will have a primary opponent in his reelection campaign, in a strong Republican congressional district in the panhandle of Florida, because those candidates back home are already swirling and looking to run either against Matt Gaetz in a primary or run for Congress should he not make it through this term.”

(h/t Mediaite)

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