Former Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, has directly linked his removal from the Speaker position in 2023 to the sexual misconduct allegations against Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).
What Happened: As reported by Politico on Friday, McCarthy, during a talk at Georgetown University, stated that his ouster was due to "one person wanted me to stop an ethics complaint because he slept with a 17-year-old." This is the most explicit way he has been linking his removal to the accusations against Gaetz, who led the campaign to prevent McCarthy from becoming speaker in January and successfully orchestrated his removal in October.
McCarthy has previously attributed his loss of the speaker's position to Gaetz but had never publicly criticized his former colleague to this extent. The Justice Department had investigated Gaetz for sex trafficking and allegations of paying for sex, particularly with an underage girl. The investigation was concluded in February 2023.
In response to McCarthy's comments, Gaetz told Politico, "Kevin is a liar. Which, actually, is why he isn't Speaker. Just ask any of the 224 people who voted to remove him."
Why It Matters: The ousting of McCarthy as Speaker was a historic event in the House of Representatives. The move was a result of McCarthy's inability to control a rebellion within the conservative wing of the Republican Party.
Gaetz had threatened to force a vote to remove McCarthy from his position amid a dispute over GOP spending cuts. Following his removal, McCarthy dismissed any speculation of his early resignation from Congress before his term ends in 2025.
The turmoil in the House leadership continues, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) now threatening to force a vote to oust the current Speaker, Mike Johnson (R-La.).
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