You don’t need a pardon if you’re innocent, but Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) sure does look guilty after a new report revealed that he sought a pre-emptive pardon from Donald Trump to kill the Justice Department’s sex-trafficking investigation he is embroiled in.
Gaetz has been under investigation by the Justice Department for allegedly trafficking an underage girl across state lines to have sex with her. And the House January 6th Committee recently revealed that Gaetz sought a pardon from Trump related to his actions in the scheme to overthrow democracy.
But a new report from the Washington Post reveals that Gaetz also sought a pardon from Trump to shield him from the DOJ’s sex-trafficking investigation.
The information comes from former Trump adviser Johnny McEntee, who made the revelation while testifying to the committee.
“Gaetz told him during a brief meeting ‘that they are launching an investigation into him or that there’s an investigation into him,’ without specifying who was investigating Gaetz,” the report said.
“McEntee added that Gaetz told him ‘he did not do anything wrong but they are trying to make his life hell, and you know, if the president could give him a pardon, that would be great.’ Gaetz told McEntee that he had asked White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows for a pardon. Asked by investigators if Gaetz’s ask for a pardon was in the context of the Justice Department investigation into whether Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws, McEntee replied, ‘I think that was the context, yes,’ according to people familiar with the testimony who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.”
That’s damning testimony. It suggests Gaetz tried to obtain presidential protection so the Justice Department would not be able to nail him for crimes as if he’s somehow above the law. Gaetz has desperately insisted that he is innocent but his attempt to seek a pardon screams that he’s guilty.
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