The Matt Gaetz Soap Opera

[Carpet_pissr]

Trumpian audacity might be harder to pull off than it looks.

Just gotta get Trumpier, based on what I’m seeing from GOP post 1/6. If what you’re saying is not working, you’re not going far enough…triple down on the crazy if necessary. Whatever it takes.

[Holman]

I'm confident we can rely on Gaetz for a yes vote for marijuana legalization.

Perpetually high looking guy? Totally. DeSantis has the same perma-squint. Maybe part of Florida’s atmosphere is made up of pot smoke.

Gaetz's vibe is definitely cocaine. DeSantis comes off more "pint-of-bourbon-before-lunch" to me.

[Alefroth]

I'm confident we can rely on Gaetz for a yes vote for marijuana legalization.

Perpetually high looking guy? Totally. DeSantis has the same perma-squint. Maybe part of Florida’s atmosphere is made up of pot smoke.

And his close 'relationships' with numerous marijauna advocacy figures.

[Smoove_B]

Nice to see he's still out and about and now (checks notes) calling for violence.

Florida Man @mattgaetz,talking about Silicon Valley canceling conservatives says "We have a 2nd amendment in this country and I THINK WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO USE IT!"

[hepcat]

Jesus...I have to hope he meant to say 1st Amendment but screwed up. The alternative is literally a call to violence.

[Smoove_B]

EDIT: Nevermind - here's the next part:

Matt Gaetz to loud standing ovation tonight: “The 2nd Amendment is about maintaining within the citizenry the ability to maintain an armed rebellion against the government of the United States, if that becomes necessary.”

[hepcat]

Yeah...it’s secret service/FBI intervention time.

[Isgrimnur]

He says, as a member of said government.

[Remus West]

How is that not openly calling for armed rebellion? How is he not simply arrested right away for that?

[malchior]

How is that not openly calling for armed rebellion? How is he not simply arrested right away for that?

Another question. How is this not even a story outside of Twitter right now? There is almost no mention at all in the press.

[Remus West]

How is that not openly calling for armed rebellion? How is he not simply arrested right away for that?

Another question. How is this not even a story outside of Twitter right now? There is almost no mention at all in the press.

Also a good point. Where the hell is the 4th estate?

[Unagi]

Jesus...I have to hope he meant to say 1st Amendment but screwed up. The alternative is literally a call to violence.

To put a finer point on it, it’s a call to murder. Not simply violence, but that special 2nd A style of violence.

Unbelievable

[LawBeefaroni]

The great irony is if/when they get their Coup and full control, the 2nd will be one of the first things to go.

[malchior]

The great irony is if/when they get their Coup and full control, the 2nd will be one of the first things to go.

They'll need some Guardians. That caste will have the "2nd" in some pretend analogous way.

[Holman]

I can see Gaetz going full barricaded-house and calling for armed patriots to defend him when it's clear that he's going to be arrested.

[Skinypupy]

What are we at now, quadrupling down? Quintupling?

The Second Amendment is not about hunting, recreation, or sports.

The Second Amendment is about the ability to maintain, within the citizenry, an armed rebellion against the government if that becomes necessary.

I hope it never does.

"Nice government you've got there. Sure would be a shame if something happened to it." (nudge nudge to the gun nuts)

[Isgrimnur]

How is that not openly calling for armed rebellion? How is he not simply arrested right away for that?

It's not an imminent threat, "reasonable" people would see it as political rhetoric, etc.

[Remus West]

How is that not openly calling for armed rebellion? How is he not simply arrested right away for that?

It's not an imminent threat, "reasonable" people would see it as political rhetoric, etc.

Let his lawyers make those crap arguments while he sits behind bars waiting to be convicted for attempt to incite rebellion.

[Daehawk]

[ImLawBoy]

I get the frustration, but performative prosecution on something that everyone involved knows will not get a conviction is just a bad idea, and not just from a legal perspective. When it gets throw out, Gaetz and his supporters would be emboldened by the victory and would be able to claim that the powers that be are conspiring against him with trumped up charges.

[LawBeefaroni]

I keep hoping for a Joseph Welch moment for all these fuckos but I have been repeatedly disappointed.

[Holman]

The Second Amendment is not about hunting, recreation, or sports.

The Second Amendment is about the ability to maintain, within the citizenry, an armed rebellion against the government if that becomes necessary.

I hope it never does.

I've heard this line for most of my life, but is there any evidence that the Founders believed it?

From what I've read, the "well-regulated militias" in question were considered important as local defense against Indian raids and slave uprisings.

Whenever 18th- or 19th-century armed citizens actually attempted to threaten government authority at any level, they were ruthlessly put down.

[LawBeefaroni]

The Second Amendment is not about hunting, recreation, or sports.

The Second Amendment is about the ability to maintain, within the citizenry, an armed rebellion against the government if that becomes necessary.

I hope it never does.

I've heard this line for most of my life, but is there any evidence that the Founders believed it?

From what I've read, the "well-regulated militias" in question were considered important as local defense against Indian raids and slave uprisings.

Whenever 18th- or 19th-century armed citizens actually attempted to threaten government authority at any level, they were ruthlessly put down.

At best it was envisioned as a defense against general tyranny, among other things. "Militias" necessary to defend the "security of the free State."

Never was it stated or implied the the sole purpose of the Second was to enable the overthrow of the Federal Government.

[Holman]

Never was it stated or implied the the sole purpose of the Second was to enable the overthrow of the Federal Government.

The militia would hardly be well-regulated if it did.

[Smoove_B]

...any day now.

Breaking. NBC News confirms: Federal prosecutors are looking into whether Matt Gaetz obstructed justice during a phone call he had with a witness in the investigation that's examining potential sex crimes involving Gaetz.

[LawBeefaroni]

GOP playbook: if obstruction is the lesser charge, obstruct.

[Smoove_B]

I sure do wonder where this is all going:

A man reportedly at the center of an alleged extortion plot involving Rep. Matt Gaetz and his family has been charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud a victim out of $25 million, in part by falsely promising he could secure a presidential pardon.

A grand jury charged Florida resident Stephen Alford, 62, with wire fraud in connection with the pardon scheme, carried out between March 16 and April 7, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Alford was also charged with attempting to stop the seizure of his iPhone by the government, said the grand jury indictment, which was signed by a U.S. magistrate judge on Aug. 18.

Alford was arrested earlier Tuesday and made his initial appearance in federal court, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida said in a press release. He faces up to 25 years imprisonment on the charged crimes, according to the prosecutors' office.

As a reminder:

A Times report from April 1, which described Alford as a real estate agent with a prior fraud conviction, said that he and a former Air Force intelligence officer named Robert Kent approached Don Gaetz about providing funding for an attempt to rescue an American hostage in Iran.

They reportedly told Don Gaetz, 73, that securing that hostage, Robert Levinson, could help clinch a pardon for his son in case he was charged with federal crimes.

Don Gaetz then hired a lawyer and contacted the FBI, the Times reported. Kent denied the allegations.

[malchior]

I sure do wonder where this is all going

It feels like nowhere. The DOJ is scared of its shadow in any case with any political fallout now. They'll roll up the little people like Greenberg but that's about it. Greenberg plead out in a cooperation agreement well before this extortion scheme and yet this guy is charged well before Gaetz. Amazing how the timeline for this investigation is like what 25-50% of the Gaetz one so far (as far as we know publicly at least). In fairness, this is an incomplete picture but you can't help but think these guys all know what's up and have stepped up their criming under this umbrella of elite inculpability. It is the reason that they are openly obstructing the Capitol Riot committee.

[Smoove_B]

This has to be bad news for Gaetz, right?

NEW: Joel Greenberg, a former associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz has asked to delay his sentencing citing his ongoing cooperation with investigators, court documents say, as the probe into whether or not Gaetz had sex with an underage girl continues.

Allegations Gaetz has denied.

His attorney, Fritz Scheller, sayst Greenberg has been cooperating with prosecutors through a series of proffers and that cooperation won’t be done before his current sentencing date of November 18th.

Prosecutors and Greenberg are asking for a sentencing date in March 2022.

[LawBeefaroni]

This has to be bad news for Gaetz, right?

NEW: Joel Greenberg, a former associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz has asked to delay his sentencing citing his ongoing cooperation with investigators, court documents say, as the probe into whether or not Gaetz had sex with an underage girl continues.

Allegations Gaetz has denied.

His attorney, Fritz Scheller, sayst Greenberg has been cooperating with prosecutors through a series of proffers and that cooperation won’t be done before his current sentencing date of November 18th.

Prosecutors and Greenberg are asking for a sentencing date in March 2022.

Bad news for Gratz? I mean he's still a sitting US congressman. What's the worst that happens, he loses his low paying government job and backs into a MAGA gig?

[Smoove_B]

Still chugging along:

The Justice Department announced Thursday that it has added two prolific prosecutors to the investigation into the sex-trafficking allegations against Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), The New York Times reports. Both prosecutors are specialists in public corruption cases and one has experience in prosecuting child exploitation crimes. The two lawyers have reportedly been working with investigators in Florida for at least three months.

[Zaxxon]

[Smoove_B]

I'm sure there's a 4D chess strategy here in letting his law license lapse - like somehow fewer penalties when this all comes to a head?

Faced with an onslaught of accusations that he engaged in underage sex trafficking—and bracing for criminal charges—Gaetz has allowed his license to practice law in his home state of Florida to lapse.

As of Wednesday, Gaetz had not paid the fees he owes to The Florida Bar, which regulates lawyers there, prompting the organization to deem him “delinquent” and “not eligible to practice law in Florida.”

As someone else that is licensed by the state, you don't let this happen. Because once it does, you now need to go through the entire process of getting your license all over again. Instead you pay the fee forever or if they allow (like pointed out in the article) you pay a fee to remain licensed but inactive.

[malchior]

I'm sure there's a 4D chess strategy here in letting his law license lapse - like somehow fewer penalties when this all comes to a head?

Faced with an onslaught of accusations that he engaged in underage sex trafficking—and bracing for criminal charges—Gaetz has allowed his license to practice law in his home state of Florida to lapse.

As of Wednesday, Gaetz had not paid the fees he owes to The Florida Bar, which regulates lawyers there, prompting the organization to deem him “delinquent” and “not eligible to practice law in Florida.”

As someone else that is licensed by the state, you don't let this happen. Because once it does, you now need to go through the entire process of getting your license all over again. Instead you pay the fee forever or if they allow (like pointed out in the article) you pay a fee to remain licensed but inactive.

If it is like the NJ bar it is worse in a way. You have to pay the fee, a hefty penalty, and have to prepare a brief for the Supreme Court of NJ about why you fucked up. Then they rule on your status. I have an acquaintance who went through it and it was not pretty.

[ImLawBoy]

My wife has a relative who was a lawyer in Illinois. He and his firm engaged in some risky/illegal tax practices (for which he served some time). Rather than get disbarred, he just deactivated his license.

[LordMortis]

Would that be her husband?

[ImLawBoy]

Would that be her husband?

I'd hate to "accidentally" ban you while posting from my admin account . . . .

[LordMortis]

[Smoove_B]

The circle is getting smaller

NEWS: Rep. Matt Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend gave testimony Wednesday to a federal grand jury investigating him for sex crimes, a major development that suggests the Department of Justice may be moving closer to indicting him. Gaetz’s ex is crucial to DOJ; she was in an open relationship at the time of the alleged crime of paying to have sex w/a17 y/o in 2017, was on a Bahamas jaunt under scrutiny for Mann Act violations & was allegedly exposed to a justice-obstruction charge. He denies all charges

[malchior]

Just saw that. I just saw one person live saying they are sure an indictment is coming much sooner than later. They also pointed out they assigned two veteran sex trafficking prosecutors a few weeks ago which bolsters that this is coming soon. Hoping for something to come down here.