Scandal

The Hill reports: House Democrats will push to release the Ethics Committee report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) despite Gaetz’s decision Thursday to withdraw his name from the running to lead the Justice Department in President-elect Trump’s incoming administration. Rep. Sean Casten [photo] (D-Ill.), who had introduced a resolution Wednesday to force a House vote on releasing the report, …

Axios reports: Matt Gaetz’s former congressional colleagues, in both parties, raised a collective cheer Thursday as the onetime Florida congressman withdrew his nomination for attorney general. But the question members were left still asking: Will Gaetz return to be sworn in for his term in the 119th Congress? “This is the only decent thing Matt Gaetz has ever done,” said …

CNN reports: The woman who says she had sex when she was a minor with then-Rep. Matt Gaetz told the House Ethics Committee she had two sexual encounters with him at one party in 2017, sources familiar with her testimony tell CNN. The woman, who was 17 years old at the time, testified that the second sexual encounter, which has …

CNN reports: A lawsuit alleges Linda McMahon, who President-elect Donald Trump tapped to lead the Department of Education, knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) employee as early as the 1980s — allegations she denies. The suit alleges McMahon, her husband, the WWE and TKO Group Holdings, the league’s parent company, knowingly allowed employee …

Politico reports: The House Ethics Committee on Wednesday did not agree to release the long-anticipated report into Matt Gaetz. “There was not an agreement by the committee to release the report,” Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told reporters after the meeting ended. Other members declined to comment. Democrats have widely called for the report to be released. Many have speculated that …

“He made some statements to me when he was a freshman that I found just kind of amazing and shocking, and I just had to look forward when we were in the committee room. I guess he thought he was a young guy and he was getting started, and I sponsored decriminalization of marijuana laws, and he came up to …

ABC News reports: The House Ethics Committee obtained records, including a check and records of Venmo payments, that appear to show that then-Rep. Matt Gaetz paid more than $10,000 to two women who were later witnesses in sexual misconduct probes conducted by both the House and the Justice Department, according to documents obtained by ABC News. The Venmo records show …

ABC News reports: Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, allegedly paid for two women in 2019 to travel to New York to have sex, watch his appearance on Fox News, and attend the Broadway show “Pretty Woman,” an attorney for the women told ABC News. In an interview with ABC News’ Juju Chang, Florida attorney Joel …

The New York Times reports: An unidentified hacker has gained access to a computer file shared in a secure link among lawyers whose clients have given damaging testimony related to Matt Gaetz. The file of 24 exhibits is said to include sworn testimony by a woman who said that she had sex with Mr. Gaetz in 2017 when she was …

ABC News reports: An attorney representing two women who testified before the House Ethics Committee told ABC News in an interview former Rep. Matt Gaetz paid both his adult clients for sex. Florida attorney Joel Leppard told ABC News that one of his clients also witnessed Gaetz having sex with a third woman — who was then 17 years old …

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 …

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 …

The New York Times reports: Tracey Collins, a senior member of the New York City Department of Education staff and Mayor Eric Adams’s longtime girlfriend, retired this week amid an investigation into a claim that her highly paid position was a “no-show” job. Ms. Collins retired on Monday and her last day of work was Nov. 1, according to the …

The New York Times reports: A former City Hall aide charged with tampering with witnesses in the federal corruption investigation into Mayor Eric Adams is talking with prosecutors about a potential guilty plea — raising the possibility that he might cooperate with them against the mayor. The criminal complaint charging the aide, Mohamed Bahi, suggests the case is strong enough …

The Raleigh News & Observer reports: In the governor’s race newsletter two weeks ago, I wrote that I had asked both House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger if they maintained their endorsement of Robinson in the wake of the CNN report fallout. Moore said he maintains his endorsement and noted that Robinson denied the allegations and sued …

CNN reports: New York Rep. Anthony D’Esposito’s campaign spent tens of thousands of donor dollars at steakhouses and bars, a foreign hostel and on unaccountable payments to a close aide and friend, according to a review of federal filings. FEC filings from the launch of his first campaign in the spring of 2022 through the latest October quarterly filing found …

CNN reports: Olivia Nuzzi has parted ways with New York magazine, the publication shared on Monday, after the star Washington correspondent was placed on leave last month over a previously undisclosed personal relationship with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “Last month, the magazine enlisted the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine to review Olivia Nuzzi’s work during the 2024 campaign. They reached …

The City reports: Despite several members of his inner circle heading for the door, Mayor Eric Adams at his weekly Tuesday media briefing insisted it’s business as usual for his administration and the rapid-fire resignations have nothing to do with swirling federal investigations. “People wanted to go on with their lives and, working in government — it’s hard. I think …

The New York Daily News reports: Sheena Wright, Mayor Adams’ second in command at City Hall, is set to resign from her post in what would be another high-level departure from his administration, which has become besieged by a flurry of federal corruption investigations, according to multiple sources close to the matter. The first deputy mayor’s resignation, expected Friday night, …

New York City’s ABC affiliate reports: Additional charges against Mayor Eric Adams are “possible” and additional defendants are “likely” to be added, a prosecutor said Wednesday during a court hearing in a Lower Manhattan courtroom. “We’re moving quickly,” prosecutor Hagens Scotten said. “We think that is quite likely.” Adams has pleaded not guilty to charges that accused him of engaging …