Republicans

Politico reports: The House Ethics panel will meet Wednesday and potentially vote to release a report probing sexual misconduct allegations against former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who Donald Trump tapped to be his attorney general, according to two people familiar with the discussion. The meeting comes as Gaetz’s confirmation is in question, with some Republican senators wary of the controversial …

The Daily Beast reports: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer’s impeachment probe into President Joe Biden may have fizzled, but at least he might get some cash out of it by launching a tell-all book. The Kentucky Republican was co-chair of a two year GOP effort that spent millions of dollars to produce a 291-page report that did not recommend …

Indianapolis’s Fox affiliate reports: A current central Indiana county commissioner has pleaded guilty in a Nevada sexual assault case, days after being elected to his local County Council. John D. Jessup – a current Commissioner for Hancock County’s District 1 – pled guilty this week in a Las Vegas court to one count of attempted sexual assault. The plea deal …

CNN reports: Trump’s pick for chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, wasted no time in stating his priorities on Sunday night. Just one hour after thanking the president for the appointment, Carr wrote on X, “We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans.” Musk immediately replied with one word of affirmation: “Based.” Carr has …

Florida Politics reports: Rep. Matt Gaetz earlier this year brought John Frankman to Washington to highlight ramifications of a military vaccine mandate. Now, the former Green Beret has announced a campaign to succeed Gaetz in Congress. The Republican, according to his campaign website, served in the Army for eight years as a captain with the 7th Special Forces. But when …

Politico Playbook reports: An attorney representing two women who testified to both federal and House Ethics investigators about Gaetz’s alleged misdeeds is coming forward with new details about what his clients told investigators. Lawyer Joel Leppard is set to do multiple network TV interviews Monday as he pushes for the release of the House Ethics report, and he gave Playbook …

From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board: Matt Gaetz must never become America’s attorney general. The U.S. Senate can prevent it. To not do so would disgrace the country and strip the Senate of all credibility. Donald Trump’s choice of the rogue Florida congressman to run the nation’s vast law enforcement apparatus makes it painfully clear why he wants the …

The Arizona Mirror reports: After a bitter court battle, Kari Lake has entered a settlement agreement with Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer in a defamation lawsuit over Lake’s false accusations that he helped to steal the 2022 race for Arizona governor from her. She brought similar allegations about her own loss to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the race for governor …

NBC News reports: Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin called on the House of Representatives on Sunday to share an unreleased ethics report into alleged sexual misconduct involving a 17-year-old girl by Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. Mullin told NBC’s Meet the Press that the Senate, which holds the authority to confirm or deny Trump’s nominations to high-level …

“The problem with the Justice Department is besides being pretty corrupt in terms of their use of lawfare, which I find disgusting, they’re dangerous. “I mean, they carry subpoenas, badges, and guns! And they also, you know, they have a means of spying on all of us if they need to. Now, that doesn’t mean they’re all bad apples. “But …

Politico reports: Elon Musk is backing Donald Trump’s transition co-chair Howard Lutnick to lead the Treasury Department, touting the billionaire CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald as a potential secretary who “will actually enact change” from the most powerful economic post in Trump’s Cabinet. Musk labeled another prime contender for the post, hedge fund CEO Scott Bessent, a “business-as-usual choice,” he posted …

Mother Jones reports: Pete Hegseth and the Trump camp have spent recent days push back against two simultaneous controversies: allegations that Hegseth has “extremist” tattoos, as some critics have charged, and that Hegseth was previously investigated by police in California over a sexual misconduct claim. On X, Hegseth has retweeted posts expressing support for him, including one that reads, “The …

The Hill reports: Calls from Republicans are intensifying for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to pick President-elect Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump to replace his secretary of State pick, Marco Rubio, in the Senate. On Thursday, Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R) said he hopes Trump picks his daughter-in-law, echoing his colleagues Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.). Florida Rep. …

The Huffington Post reports: On Friday a federal judge in Texas struck down a new rule from the Biden administration aimed at extending overtime protections to millions of workers. Judge Sean D. Jordan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas ruled that the Labor Department went beyond its authority in issuing the regulation earlier this year. …

The Daily Beast reports: In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to appoint ex-Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as his Director of National Intelligence, reports have resurfaced of her ties to a religious sect described as a “cult”—a connection that has the potential to throw her nomination, which requires Senate confirmation, into jeopardy. She reportedly met her husband, Abraham Williams, …

CNN reports: Donald Trump is weighing a push from right-wing allies to nominate Kash Patel to lead the FBI, one of the clearest indications the president-elect plans to stick by his vow to fire Director Christopher Wray before his 10-year term ends and replace him with a loyalist. Even among Trump loyalists, Patel is widely viewed as a controversial figure …

The Hill reports: Speaker Mike Johnson said he does not think the House Ethics report into Matt Gaetz should be released, as the former representative faces a Senate confirmation for attorney general. “I’m going to strongly request that the Ethics Committee not issue the report, because that is not the way we do things in the House,” Johnson said. “And …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Senate Republicans warned that attorney general pick Matt Gaetz would struggle to win the support needed for confirmation and said the close ally of President-elect Donald Trump would face intense scrutiny over sexual-misconduct allegations if he continued to seek the post. Trump can afford to lose the support of no more than three GOP senators …

Politico reports: Mike Pence is urging Senate Republicans to not confirm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary, calling his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump “deeply concerning.” “I believe the nomination of RFK Jr. to serve as Secretary of HHS is an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should be deeply concerning to …

CBS News reports: Pete Hegseth, the Army veteran turned Fox News host selected by President-elect Donald Trump to be defense secretary during his second term was investigated for an alleged sexual assault in 2017, Monterey, Calif. officials confirmed. The incident allegedly occurred somewhere between a minute before midnight on Oct. 7, 2017 and 7 a.m. on Oct. 8, 2017 at …