3 hours ago
BBC News, Washington
The man picked to be America’s next top law enforcement officer, Matt Gaetz, is at the centre of a number of allegations which could prevent him from getting the job. Here’s all you need to know about them.
The Florida lawmaker is the subject of a long-running investigation by a congressional ethics panel into a number of claims involving drugs, bribes and sex.
A woman who attended a 2017 party with him has testified to the House committee that she saw the then-congressman having sex with a minor, her lawyer has said. He has denied any wrongdoing and called the investigation into him a “smear campaign”.
The Justice Department – which Gaetz would lead in the post – also investigated the claim but ultimately did not file any criminal charges against him.
When he learned of his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump, he resigned from Congress, putting him out of reach of the investigation by the ethics panel.
Pressure is building for it to publish its findings and the level of cross-party concern risks derailing his nomination, which requires Senate approval.
Here are the allegations broken down.
Approved ~ Primus Pilus
Big Sal
Article URL : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cew2z48rp70o