Matt Gaetz Under Investigation By Florida State Bar Over Michael Cohen Threat

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: The Daily Beast

The Florida Bar has opened an investigation into whether Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) violated professional conduct rules by threatening former Trump fixer Michael Cohen ahead of Cohen’s congressional testimony on Wednesday.

The organization, which licenses lawyers to practice in the state, would not disclose details of the investigation, but bar counsel Chuck Hughes confirmed to The Daily Beast that a probe is underway based on a complaint received from a member of the general public.

Reached by text on Wednesday, Gaetz said he had not “seen anything like that.” Gatez, a licensed Florida attorney and ally of President Donald Trump, came under fire on Tuesday for a tweet that appeared to threaten Cohen with personal retribution over his testimony, which alleged that Trump is a “racist” and a “con-man” who participated in criminal activity during the 2016 presidential campaign.

"Hey @MichaelCohen212,” Gaetz wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot..."

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/matt-gaetz-under-investigation-by-florida-state-bar-over-michael-cohen-threat

[Leghorn21]

1. Bbbbbut he deleted that tweet, so it never happened I tells ya!!

Great news!

[George II]

12. It was deleted but it's not gone:

[SunSeeker]

15. Intimidating a witness with dirt about him to his wife is why Jared's father was jailed.

Gaetz should meet the same fate as the elder Kushner. Fuck that scumbag.

[Leghorn21]

18. I was just kidding - I bet there are more screen shots of his deleted tweet than any other in

history!!

[calimary]

20. I certainly have one!

[louis-t]

2. Buh-bye!

He seems to be apologizing out both sides of his face. He's toast.

[NurseJackie]

3. I smell a special election coming up very soon!

[onetexan]

36. LOL i hope so. Good riddance

[NurseJackie]

38. Everything about him says "privileged Frat-Boy"...

... it certainly doesn't speak very well for the people who elected him.

[onetexan]

41. exactly. This lightbulb isn't terribly bright himself.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

49. Not privileged frat boy, but like trmp, privileged SON.

His father, Don Gaetz, was a politician in northern Florida. His father, Jerry Gaetz, was a mayor in a small town in South Dakota, so political grift is in the blood of this family. Don moved the family to Florida, where he founded a health care company, named VITAS. In 2004, he sold his part in the company for half a billion dollars. In 2013, the Department of Justice sued VITAS for a decade of Medicare fraud.

Now you see why he is so tight with Rick Scott, who was CEO of Hospital Corp of America (HCA), which was also investigated by DoJ for what was called "The largest case of Medicare fraud in history."

See, the apple doesn't fall far from tree.

Now, little Mattie has had SIXTEEN SPEEDING TICKETS and DUI charges, all dropped because Daddy got him off every time. I knew Florida State troopers, Escambia County Sheriff's deputies and Pensacola cops who desperately wanted to see Gaetz rot in jail/prison. But Don Gaetz's influence stretched across the northern part of Florida for years.

[NurseJackie]

50. Thanks for the info. Ugh...

See, the apple doesn't fall far from tree.

... indeed it doesn't.

[BigmanPigman]

4. One complaint?

I bet there were a lot more than that. The number in FL to call was posted on DU last night.

[PunkinPi]

8. I'll just leave this here...

Link to tweet

Matt Gaetz is a licensed attorney in Florida. His Bar Number is 48962. He violated 18 U.S.C. § 1512. He could be charged with a felony for witness tampering but this is also grounds for disbarment. Call the Florida Bar and file an official complaint. The number is 1-866-352-0707

[Pacifist Patriot]

9. I know of several people who called.

[volstork]

5. There must be consequences.

n/t

[onetexan]

37. agree, this is thuggish, criminal behavior

not to mention highly unethical and grossly unbecoming of a congressman. In this highly toxic, abnormal times he and others like him think they can get away with making blatant threats like this.
This guy is a disgrace, and should be made an example of to make sure this kind of thuggish behavior is not condoned.

[notdarkyet]

45. From theTrumpian school of etiquette and manners.

[TlalocW]

6. Good!

What gets me about this threat - and it was a threat - is how stupid it was. He spilled the beans (whether truthfully or not) on how he was going to blackmail Cohen.

It's like if someone had photos of me doing something wrong and telling me, "The photos and negatives are currently behind the fire extinguisher on the 4th level of your company's parking garage. I expect you to come to the McDonalds across the street with the blackmail money... Hello? Hello? Are you still on the line?"

TlalocW

[DirtEdonE]

7. Oh yeah baby!

Disbar this motherfucking traitor and remove him from the House.

Then indict his ass.

Trashbag teabagger motherfucking traitor.

[Gothmog]

10. This idiot needs to disbarred

Link to tweet

[jmowreader]

11. There's only one acceptable punishment for this

Expulsion from Congress, disbarment, and 20 years in federal prison. Let Gaetz' plight serve as a warning to the others.

[SunSeeker]

13. Lock him up! nt

[Cousin Dupree]

14. Thoughts and prayers, Matt

[catbyte]

16. Stacey Plaskett, the representative from the Virgin Islands called for an investigation

& possible criminal charges during her time in the committee. She said that she wanted to make sure it was in the record.

[Mrs. Overall]

17. Yes--I saw that and actually cheered out loud when she said it!

[EveHammond13]

19. Kushner Sr, Manafort, Cohen all disbarred - will Gaetz be next

[calimary]

30. Certainly should be!

[Bromwell]

21. What a punk....

Boy was he a very tough guy yesterday right? Lets see how tough he is going forward now that he is getting this smack down and possible criminal charges....

Typical Repug...all bluster, all bully on the outside, soft and squishy on the inside.

[Honeycombe8]

22. So THAT'S why he apologized and deleted the tweet.

Now it makes sense. But you can't un-say something. It's an old trick. You say something, then take it back. But they heard it already and can't un-hear it.

[SunSeeker]

24. Plus it made national news. The whole country heard it. nt

[SayitAintSo]

53. The legal term I once heard that describes what he did is...

Pissing in the milk ... once you do that you can't strain it out, you can't unhear it... this guy deserves to be disbarred put in jail and kicked out of Congress

[Honeycombe8]

56. +1. nt

[3catwoman3]

58. "Pissing in the milk" - LOL!

That is a new one on me. I'm sure I will have occasion to use it soon. Thanks for the addition to my lexicon of interesting expressions.

[riversedge]

23. Good deal. Someone filed a complaint. Get that little smarypants!

[Bernie42020]

25. This is just another

arrogant GOP prick that needs to spend some time behind bars.

[CountAllVotes]

26. Mafia Matt w/his mob threats

Rot in hell you thug!

[Pepsidog]

27. Good. This guy should be run out of Congress..disgraceful.

[cstanleytech]

28. There is no appearance of a threat by Gaetz as it clearly was one and my bet is that it was

preplanned ahead of time and that his apology is a sham.

[True Blue American]

42. This too.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/02/26/rep_gaetz_rips_cohen_on_house_floor_does_he_lie_to_his_own_family.html

[Grokenstein]

29. "Look, I SAID I was sorry!!"

"Don't keep pushing it, or something might happen. And I apologize for saying that, too."

[majdrfrtim]

31. Hasn't he blamed Hillary or Barack yet??

Asking for a friend.

[Paladin]

32. Make this shitbird an ex-lawyer, pronto. (nt)

[bluestarone]

33. Off to jail

Put him in same cell as NUNES!

[MyOwnPeace]

34. CODE RED! CODE RED!

Bitch fight in cell 218!!!!!!

[Ligyron]

35. I absolutely hate fellow Floridian Gaetz.

Rep from the Redneck Riviera somewhere I think.

He's quite well-spoken tho' and an effective spokesman for the teabaggers unfortunately. I hope this is enough to sink him.

[TrollBuster9090]

39. Disbarred from the legal profession....

....well on his way to being an assclown pundit on Fux News. (Maybe he can share a makeup mirror with Gregg Jarret?)

[More_Cowbell]

40. He's present at the hearing, too, even though he's not on the committee

That could also be seen as an attempt at intimidation (when it's combined with that tweet)

[Miigwech]

43. The trump stink is on him now more then ever

[KY_EnviroGuy]

44. It's a wonder people can stand to be in the same room because...

he came to Washington with Rick Scott stink all over him.....

Seems to have plenty of history in Florida, and now in the U.S. Congress of being a hard-right gunz-and-prison asshole.

[brandnewday2009]

46. Yas!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

47. Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy

[PatrickforO]

48. Good. Disbar him.

After we heard Cohen talk about the 'enforcement arm' of Trump's businesses - the arm that intimidates or actually does harm to those he perceives as enemies, Gaetz needs to be held accountable.

[Botany]

51. "... it was NOT my intent to threaten, as some believe I did.

The old it is the fault of others who took my actions out of context dodge.

[Aussie105]

52. A few others

are throwing threats at Cohen too. Wide open for a charge of attempted witness tampering.

Had to laugh though. Cohen's testimony had some Republicans terribly heated. And all they could do is attack him personally, not challenge the evidence he presented.

But Cohen - opportunism at it's best. Played along with Trump for 10 years solely for what was in it for Cohen. Now Cohen has done a 180 for the same reason, to minimize his jail time.

Still laughing at the upset Republican snowflakes who didn't like Cohen's words! The anger and personal attack on Cohen reveals all, really.

[Sherman A1]

54. Good

perhaps he could be disbarred?

[RockRaven]

55. His apology/deletion/backtrack was SERIOUSLY undermined by his overheard call w/ Trump...

"I was happy to do it for you"

Oopsie.

[Grammy23]

57. Gaetz is quite accustomed to "daddy" (Don Gaetz) getting Sonny Boy out of

self inflicted jams. With a string of speeding tickets and DUI arrests all tidied up by Daddio, he is used to impulsively doing sh*t and nothing happens. Sooner or later his luck and privilege will run out. Let’s all hope that the time for that is now. Let’s see someone wipe that sh*t eating grin off his face.

[CaptYossarian]

59. This is the connection we need.

Between his disparaging remarks about the Parkland survivors and his devotion to Trump, he's one of the connections with the NRA and Putin. Add Butina's testimony and we destroy the domestic terrorist group and the Trump crime family.