Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is accusing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) of lying about who he sleeps with amid the congressman’s ongoing House Ethics investigation.
Gaetz led the effort to successfully oust McCarthy from the speakership last year. McCarthy subsequently announced his resignation from the House at the end of the year.
On Tuesday, McCarthy visited Capitol Hill where he gave his first press conference since leaving Congress and made it clear he’s out for revenge against Gaetz and the other Republicans who voted to remove him as speaker.
McCarthy accused Gaetz of lying about having a close relationship with Donald Trump and about “who he sleeps with,” a veiled reference to Gaetz being accused of having a sexual relationship with an underage girl and paying her to travel with him.
“I don’t know how close you probably think the president is to Gaetz, but you should probably figure that out,” McCarthy said.
When a reporter said Gaetz makes it appear as if he has a close relationship with Trump, McCarthy suggested he’s lying.
“I’m sure,” he said. “Gaetz probably makes a lot up. He probably lies about who he sleeps with too.”
The Justice Department ended their sex trafficking probe into the Florida congressman last year without bringing any charges, but there is an ongoing House Ethics Committee probe.
McCarthy also took a swipe at Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), telling reporters that she can’t keep anyone working for her and, “I just hope she gets the help to straighten out her life.”
Mace and Gaetz are two of the eight Republican lawmakers who sided with Democrats to successfully remove McCarthy as speaker. The former speaker has since vowed to work to defeat them.
