Republicans

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 …

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports: “I’m willing to grind through it and do it the old-fashioned way,” Thune told South Dakota reporters Wednesday afternoon as part of a press call when he was asked about the possibility of recess appointments for Trump’s cabinet members. Recess appointments are a process under which Senate leadership would dismiss the chambers and allow …

“It’s my understanding that it’s not supposed to go public. So if it’s not supposed to under the rules, it shouldn’t go public. “There are very few people who have the cross-examination skills he does, and I want someone in the Justice Department who’s not going to say moms and dads in school board meetings need to be investigated. “I …

Federalist CEO Ben Domenech writes on his Substack: Matt Gaetz is a sex trafficking drug addicted piece of shit. He is abhorrent. His eyes are permanently rimmed with the red rings of chemical boosters. In person, he smells like overexposed Axe Body Spray and stale Astroglide. The fact that he boasted on the floor to multiple colleagues in the House …

Axios reports: The Republican-led House Ethics Committee cancelled a planned meeting regarding its investigation of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Axios. Republican members of the committee — which is split 50-50 between the two parties — met Thursday night, both sources confirmed to Axios. The panel had been set to vote on …