AP: GOP senators divided on release of Gaetz ethics report as Trump pressures them to move quickly
AP - GOP senators divided on release of Gaetz ethics report as Trump pressures them to move quickly
By MARY CLARE JALONICK and STEPHEN GROVES
Updated 4:24 PM EST, November 19, 2024
WASHINGTON (AP) As President-elect Donald Trump digs in on his pick of former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general, Republican senators are divided over how much information they will demand to move his confirmation and how much to push back on Trump as he demands that they quickly rubber stamp his Cabinet once he takes office in January.
Gaetz, who is expected to start meeting with senators as soon as this week, is an unconventional pick for the nations top law enforcement official, creating a confirmation climb in the Senate, where many Republicans are deeply uncomfortable with his selection.
The Florida Republican spent his congressional career agitating against the Justice Department and has faced a House Ethics investigation into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct. Gaetz denies the allegations.
Publicly, Republican senators say they will give Gaetz the same due process that they give any other nominee. Most are loath to criticize him directly. But they are split on whether to demand access to the ethics report, which the House ethics committee could choose to release after Gaetz resigned from the House last week.
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