Congress performer Matt Gaetz seized upon this morning's "sucker punch" drama — in which former speaker Kevin McCarthy shoved Rep. Tim Burchett with a sharp elbow — calling for an investigation by the House Ethics Committee into the the former speaker. Because ousting McCarthy from his speakership wasn't enough for Gaetz, who is out for blood after he himself was put under investigation for "sexual misconduct and misuse of funds."
"This Congress has seen a substantial increase in breaches of decorum unlike anything we have seen since the pre-Civil War era," the Florida man wrote, via Axios. "I myself have been a victim of outrageous conduct on the House floor as well, but nothing like an open and public assault on a Member, committed by another Member. The rot starts at the top."
Gaetz also said the matter "deserves immediate and swift investigation by the Ethics Committee." (See full complaint below, posted by Ron Filipkowski.)
McCarthy has since denied elbowing his colleague in the kidney, even though the alleged incident took place in a crowded hallway where others, including NPR journalist Claudia Grisales, say they saw it happen.
And when asked what he thought about Gaetz filing a complaint against him, McCarthy told a reporter, "Oh good. No. I think Ethics is a good place for Gaetz to be."
From Mediaite:
McCarthy has long claimed that Gaetz, who led the effort to oust him as speaker last month, holds a personal grudge against him. McCarthy told CNN last week. "It's driven by Gaetz, and it was all based upon an ethics complaint that happened in the last Congress. He would throw his country away to try to protect himself for what would come out as the truth."
"If the Ethics Committee never does anything to Gaetz, then Gaetz was successful in stopping probably what rightfully should come to him," McCarthy told Manu Raju at the time.
Gaetz is under investigation over allegations he "engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use and accepted impermissible gifts under House rules, among other allegations," reported the New York Times in October.
