No. 2 House Republican says GOP would act against Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz
WASHINGTON — House Republicans would “take action” on Rep. Matt Gaetz if the Justice Department formally moves ahead against him, the chamber’s No. 2 GOP leader said Wednesday.
The remarks by Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana made him the latest of many congressional Republicans who have opted against springing to the defense of the Florida Republican. Federal agents are investigating Gaetz over allegations that include sex trafficking and sex with a minor, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they could not discuss details publicly.
Scalise said in recent years, party leaders have removed Republican lawmakers facing serious charges from their committee assignments. That was essentially a restatement of the House GOP’s internal rules, which require lawmakers to resign from committees if they are indicted for felonies with penalties of at least two years in prison.
“If something really formal happened from Justice, we would of course react and take action,” Scalise told reporters.