DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Why Republicans think their Senate majority could last the decade: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

Plus, politics reporters Allan Smith and Vaughn Hillyard examine how Donald Trump's transition team is turning to the much-maligned Project 2025 to fill jobs in the administration. I think it bodes well for us to keep the majority through the rest of the decade,” Daines, of Montana, told NBC News. “They made themselves nuclear,” Howard Lutnick, the co-chair of Trump’s transition and his nominee to serve as commerce secretary, told CNBC in September. But with the campaign over, Trump’s transition team is turning to Project 2025 to help staff the next administration. Both Homan and Ratcliffe were listed as contributors to Project 2025, while Carr wrote a chapter on the FCC.

Persons: Sahil Kapur, Allan Smith, Vaughn Hillyard, Donald Trump's, Steve Daines, “ We’re, ” Daines, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Republican Sen, Susan Collins, Democrats haven’t, GOP Sen, Thom Tillis, Trump, Sen, Gary Peters, Jon Ossoff, Ted Budd, Ron Johnson, —, Vaughn Hillyard Donald Trump, “, ” Howard Lutnick, Tom Homan, Brendan Carr, John Ratcliffe, Both Homan, Ratcliffe, Carr, Read, jud, tim, ️, Rea Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Democrats, GOP, National Republican, NBC News, Republicans, Democratic, Republican, CNBC, Trump, Federal Communications Commission, FCC Locations: Montana, West Virginia , Montana and Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, Arizona , Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, Maine, North Carolina, Alaska , Iowa , Kentucky , Texas, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona , Georgia

It took Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, just a few weeks to make his mark on the Senate — even before he'd actually take the oath of office to replace retiring Sen. Mitt Romney next year. But I’m not going to give him an unconditional yes to anything that he wants.”“He is not Mitt Romney and he is not Donald Trump. Former Utah Republican Gov. After deciding to run for Senate after Romney’s retirement announcement, Trump weighed in and endorsed Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs. But his colleagues and Trump allies felt that they understood his perspective, with Curtis’ likely disapproval of Gaetz leading to his quick withdrawal.

Persons: John Curtis, he'd, Sen, Mitt Romney, Donald Trump, Curtis, Matt Gaetz’s, Trump, I’m, He’s, ”, Carlos Curbelo, Romney, ” Curbelo, Jason Chaffetz, Hillary Clinton, Gary Herbert, Herbert, ” Herbert, he’s, Curbelo, Curtis ’, “, John, ‘, ’ ” Curbelo, it’s, didn’t, censuring Trump, It’s, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs, he’d, you’re, That’s, Gaetz, Curtis didn’t, general’s, ” “ He’s, what’s Organizations: Rep, Justice Department, Republican Party that’s, Trump, GOP, NBC, Republican, “, Brigham Young University, Democratic Party, Congress, Former Utah Republican Gov, NBC News, Commission, Senate, Republicans, GOP House, Capitol, Riverton Mayor, Republican Senate, Ford Locations: Utah, Florida, Salt Lake City, Taiwan, Provo, Washington, Texas, “

Donald Trump names a new pick for attorney general after Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration. And President-elect Donald Trump has a new pick for who he wants to be the next attorney general. Russia’s use of such a missile, which can strike far beyond Ukraine and can carry a nuclear warhead, is a warning to Ukraine, Washington and other NATO states, analysts said. Staff Pick: Denzel Washington brings his charm to ‘Gladiator II’Denzel Washington as Macrinus in a scene from "Gladiator II." The best Advent calendars on Amazon include options with chocolate, beauty and skin care products, Legos, dog treats and more.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Putin, Trump, Pam Bondi, Gaetz, Bondi, Ballard, “, Vance, Republicans ”, ”, Read, Vladimir Putin, Yesterday’s, Jussie, Jair Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro, Max Verstappen, Denzel Washington, Aidan Monaghan, Paramount Pictures Denzel Washington, ” Washington, smirk ”, Washington, Ronda Racha Penrice, — Michelle Garcia Organizations: Ballard Partners, Justice Department, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Prisons, Trump, Republicans, Department, Gaetz, DOJ, West, Defense, NATO, Justice, Chicago police, Former, Paramount Pictures, Ronda Racha, NBC Locations: Ukraine, Bondi, West Russian, Russia, Washington, Illinois, Chicago, Wisconsin, Uzbekistan, Las Vegas, Ronda

Gaetz cannot return to Congress this yearWhen Gaetz submitted his resignation, that ended his official role in the current 118th Congress. Could he be sworn in for the 119th Congress? When Gaetz resigned, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Fla., expressed hope that a special election could be held in time to fill his seat quickly. So if Gaetz is able to take his seat in the 119th Congress, the panel could extend its investigation and still release its report. Prior to Gaetz withdrawing his name from consideration for attorney general, Johnson signaled he did not want the Ethics Committee to release its report.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump's, Gaetz, “, ”, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Michael Guest, Guest, Sean Casten Organizations: Congress, Florida Gov, Congressional, 119th Locations: Florida

☆ The ‘Landslide’ That Wasn’t: Trump and Allies Pump Up His Narrow Victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the night he won a second term, President-elect Donald J. Trump rejoiced in the moment. “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he boasted. In the two weeks since, his campaign has repeatedly heralded his “landslide,” even to market Trump merchandise like the “Official Trump Victory Glass.”But by traditional numeric measures, Mr. Trump’s victory was neither unprecedented nor a landslide. In fact, he prevailed with one of the smallest margins of victory in the popular vote since the 19th century and generated little of the coattails of a true landslide. The collapse of Matt Gaetz’s prospective nomination for attorney general on Thursday demonstrated the challenges for Mr. Trump in forcing a Republican Congress to defer to his more provocative ideas.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Trump’s, Matt Gaetz’s, Gaetz Organizations: Trump, Republican Locations: Florida

Sexual misconduct allegations against Matt Gaetz had drawn scrutiny after Mr. Trump said he wanted to nominate him for attorney general. Mr. Trump moved quickly to replace Mr. Gaetz with another conservative favorite. Federal prosecutors ultimately dropped the case against Mr. Gaetz, but their chart of payments was obtained by the ethics committee, which was investigating whether Mr. Gaetz had sex with the woman when she was underage. After she turned 18, Mr. Gaetz paid for sex with her on at least two other occasions, the person said. Mr. Trump seemed attracted to Mr. Gaetz as attorney general especially because of the former congressman’s willingness to blow things up.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Trump, Donald J, Gaetz, Pam Bondi, Gaetz’s, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Vance, Mr, ” Mr, “ Matt, Jean Carroll, Hegseth, Kennedy, Elon Musk, Linda McMahon, JD Vance, “, ”, Todd Blanche, Blanche, implacably, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins of, Mitch McConnell of, John Curtis of Utah, Collins, McConnell, Murkowski, Curtis, John Cornyn, Kevin Cramer, Ginger Luckey, Kevin McCarthy, Andrew Bailey, Robert J, Giuffra Jr, Cromwell, Boris Epshteyn, Marco Rubio, Trump’s, Tim Balk, Michael Gold, Michael C, Bender, Karoun Demirjian, Robert Draper, Catie Edmondson, Maya C, Miller, Michael S, Schmidt, Noah Weiland Organizations: Senate, Justice Department, Republicans, Fox News, Trump, DOJ, Mr, SpaceX, World Wrestling Entertainment, Capitol, Republican, Fort Walton, Florida Panhandle, New York Times, Wednesday, The Times, CNN, Sullivan, Department, Justice, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, 119th Locations: Florida, Washington, Ohio, Monterey , Calif, Manhattan, Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Texas, North Dakota, Fort, Fort Walton Beach, Missouri, New York

☆ Trump suffers first defeat but as always doubles down for the next fight
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —For Donald Trump, every defeat is just the catalyst for his next battle. The Gaetz disaster suggests that despite his big election win, some laws of political gravity still apply to Trump. This may explain why two-and-a-half weeks into his transition, several of Trump’s Cabinet picks are embroiled in allegations of sexual misconduct, ethics or legal controversy. Like Gaetz, Hegseth was not prosecuted over the allegation and denies he did anything wrong. Plenty of presidents get a Cabinet pick knocked back and do just fine.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Matt Gaetz, – Trump, Trump, Pam Bondi, MAGA, Gaetz –, elect’s, Manu Raju, Pete Hegseth, Hegseth, Linda McMahon, McMahon, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, groped, Eliza Cooney, “, Kennedy, he’d, ”, Cooney, “ I’m, he’s, Jean Carroll, didn’t, CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Gaetz, CNN’s Paula Reid, Sarah Ferris, Vance, Tulsi Gabbard, —, Maine Sen, Susan Collins, North Carolina Sen, Thom Tillis, JD Vance, ’, Bondi, she’s Organizations: CNN, Department of Justice, Trump, DOJ, GOP, Cabinet, Former Fox News, Department of Defense, Trump Cabinet, Department of Education, Wrestling Entertainment, WWE, Department of Health, Human Services, USA, Fair, Democratic, Social, Capitol, Senate Republican, Trump University, Republican Locations: Washington, California, Iraq, Afghanistan, Manhattan, Gaetz, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, Bondi

☆ Matt Gaetz says he’s not returning to Congress next year
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Kristen Holmes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, who withdrew from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general on Thursday, said Friday he will not be returning to Congress next year. And I’m actually excited to see Northwest Florida go to new heights and have great representation,” Gaetz told Kirk. He also praised Trump’s subsequent choice for attorney general, which the president-elect announced just hours after Gaetz withdrew his name — former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. “My good friend Pam Bondi is going to be a phenomenal attorney general for Donald Trump. “I had a full-time job explaining to senators that maybe a tweet I sent about them was rash and not reflective of how I would serve as attorney general.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s, “ I’m, ”, Charlie Kirk, Gaetz, —, who’ve, ” Gaetz, Kirk, Trump, Trump’s, Pam Bondi, “, Donald Trump, Gaetz —, Pam Bondi’s, Kevin McCarthy, Eric Brander Organizations: CNN, Former Florida, 119th, Trump, Department of Justice, Capitol, United States Congress, Justice Department, Hill, California Republican Locations: Northwest Florida, Florida, “, Washington, California

☆ Trump's Cabinet selection is off to a rocky start: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

But it’s not even Thanksgiving, and Donald Trump is already looking for a backup top law enforcement officer after Matt Gaetz withdrew his AG bid Thursday. The last time around, Trump lost just one of his initial Cabinet picks, when Andrew Puzder withdrew as the labor secretary nominee in February 2017. ➡️ More on the Trump transitionAside from Gaetz, two of Trump’s other Cabinet picks, Hegseth and Kennedy, have also faced serious allegations of sexual impropriety, which they have both denied. 🗞️ Today’s other top stories 👀 Buckeye State battle brewing: The jockeying for JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat has begun, and the potential candidates’ statements about Trump’s Cabinet picks are being closely watched. Read more →The jockeying for JD Vance’s Ohio Senate seat has begun, and the potential candidates’ statements about Trump’s Cabinet picks are being closely watched.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Jonathan Allen, Henry J, Gomez, Olympia Sonnier, Jake Traylor, Julie Tsirkin Matt Gaetz’s, Donald Trump, ”, Gaetz, MAGA, Trump, Sens, Mitch McConnell of, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins of, Markwayne Mullin, John Curtis of Utah, Read, Jonathan Allen It’s, George H.W, Texas Sen, John Tower, it’s, — Trump, Bill Clinton’s, Zoë Baird, Kimba Wood, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Barack Obama’s, Tom Daschle, Bill Richardson, Judd Gregg, Andrew Puzder, ➡️, Hegseth, Kennedy, Mehmet Oz, El Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Republican, The Justice Department, Republicans, Gaetz, Pentagon, Former Fox News, Human Services, Commerce, ., Medicare, Services Locations: Florida, Washington, Trump, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Oklahoma, Texas, Obamacare

Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal Thursday as a candidate for attorney general illustrates the roadblocks President-elect Donald Trump could face as he attempts to convert his campaign of “retribution” into a governing coalition capable of working within the realities of Washington. In Gaetz, Trump would finally get the loyal attorney general he felt like he never had in his first term. But it was a tough sell from the moment Trump announced Gaetz as his choice eight days ago — in a pick that shocked much of Washington. In the end, it was the “combination of the ethics report and opposition among Senate Republicans,” that doomed Gaetz’s candidacy, a senior Senate aide told NBC News. Before Gaetz’s withdrawal Thursday, Trump allies were pushing hard on GOP senators and other ambitious Republicans to publicly support his embattled Cabinet picks.

Persons: Matt Gaetz’s, Donald Trump, ”, Gaetz, MAGA, Trump, “, Vance, ” Gaetz, Sens, Mitch McConnell of, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins of, Markwayne Mullin, John Curtis of Utah, JD Vance, ” Sen, Mike Rounds, ” Rounds, Pete Hegseth, shouldn’t, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt, they’re Organizations: Republican, The Justice Department, Republicans, NBC News, Trump, Capitol, Gaetz, “, Senate, Fox News, Justice Department Locations: Washington, Florida, Trump, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Oklahoma, Ohio, Hawaii

Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, was accused of sexual assault. Trump himself has faced various sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied, though he was found liable last year for sexual abuse in a civil trial over an alleged incident in the 1990s that he also denies. Now, after having won the presidency again, he’s spending early political capital to confirm appointees who have faced sexual misconduct allegations of their own. The allegations against Trump’s picksGaetz’s years of controversies have been thrust back into the spotlight now that he’s up for a Cabinet post. “It’s a very scary time for young men in America when you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of,” Trump told reporters.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Gaetz, Hegseth, Kennedy, “, Trump, ”, Marc Short, Mike Pence’s, we’ve, Trump’s, hasn’t, Tim Parlatore, Bill Clinton’s, George H.W, Barack Obama’s, haven’t, Andy Puzder, Puzder, Patrick Shanahan, Shanahan, Ronny Jackson, Jackson, Brett Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh, ” Trump, reconsidering, JD Vance, Karoline Leavitt, Vance, MAGA, ” Leavitt Organizations: NBC News, NBC, “, Justice Department, Trump, Committee, Washington Post, Republican, You’re, Politico, Pentagon, White House, Department of Veterans Affairs, Supreme, Capitol, White Locations: groping, Florida, America, Hegseth, Washington

☆ Gaetz Withdrew From Attorney General Consideration
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Matt Gaetz, the former Florida congressman who Donald Trump tapped last week as his choice for attorney general, announced today that he would withdraw from consideration. Gaetz has faced a torrent of scrutiny over allegations of sex trafficking and drug use, which he has denied. After meetings on Capitol Hill yesterday, Gaetz told people close to him that at least four Republican senators opposed his nomination — enough to block his confirmation. The storm surrounding Gaetz, personally disliked by lawmakers in both parties, has drawn some attention away from Trump’s other contested picks. The office of the city attorney of Monterey, Calif., released a redacted police file yesterday containing the accusation of a woman who said that Hegseth raped her in 2017.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump, Gaetz, Susan Collins of, Pete Hegseth, Hegseth Organizations: Capitol Locations: Florida, Susan Collins of Maine, Monterey , Calif

☆ Pam Bondi Is Trump’s New Choice as Attorney General. Here’s What to Know About Her.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Glenn Thrush | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President-elect Donald J. Trump quickly swept aside Thursday’s bad headlines about Matt Gaetz by speedily substituting Pam Bondi, a fellow Florida Republican with a starkly different profile — but a similar reputation for fealty — to be his attorney general. Ms. Bondi, 59, is a lobbyist and Trump loyalist who served as Florida’s attorney general from 2011 to 2019. She has charted a more conventional and less clamorous course than Mr. Gaetz, with little of the ugly personal or political baggage that led some Republicans to oppose Mr. Gaetz’s nomination. Ms. Bondi, the daughter of the mayor of a small Tampa-area municipality, began working as an assistant state attorney in Hillsborough County in the 1990s. During 18 years as a prosecutor, she tried cases “ranging from domestic violence to capital murder,” according to the bio page at her lobbying firm.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Matt Gaetz, Pam Bondi, —, Gaetz, Gaetz’s, Dwight Gooden Organizations: Florida Republican, Trump, New York Mets Locations: Florida, Bondi, Tampa, Hillsborough County

☆ Opinion | Gaetz’s Withdrawal Means the Senate Passed Its First Test
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Michelle Cottle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Florida Man Matt Gaetz was announced as Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general on a Wednesday. Eight days later, his complete unfitness for the job had become so undeniable and insurmountable that he withdrew from consideration. Trump’s decision to put him forward was an early, gross test for the president-elect’s entire Senate team. And while the Senate has been trending Trumpier as well, the transformation is not yet complete. With Gaetz, the MAGA king was watching to see if there was a line that his Senate subjects would not yet cross.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s, Gaetzgate, Trump, MAGA Organizations: Florida, Senate, Republican, Republican House

Matt Gaetz, who faced a torrent of scrutiny over allegations of sex trafficking and drug use, abruptly withdrew his bid to become attorney general on Thursday in the first major political setback for President-elect Donald J. Trump since his election this month. The collapse of Mr. Gaetz’s prospective candidacy just 16 days after the election appeared to be the earliest such failed cabinet pick in modern history and underscored the haphazard way that Mr. Trump has gone about assembling his new administration. He picked Mr. Gaetz almost on a whim last week without extensive vetting, knowing that allegations were out there, but essentially daring Senate Republicans to accept him anyway. Mr. Trump moved quickly to replace Mr. Gaetz with another conservative favorite. By the day’s end, he announced on social media that he planned to nominate Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida and one of his defense lawyers in his first impeachment trial, to be U.S. attorney general.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald J, Trump, Gaetz, Pam Bondi Organizations: Senate, Justice Department Locations: Florida

CNN —Hours after his first pick to run the nation’s top law enforcement agency dropped out, President-elect Donald Trump named former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his new choice to run the Justice Department. Trump met in person with Bondi at Mar-a-Lago before officially offering her the job, a source familiar told CNN. Democratic lawmakers accused Bondi of declining to pursue an investigation into Trump University fraud allegations after receiving the donation. … I never said I don’t like gay people.”After leaving the Florida attorney general’s office, Bondi joined Ballard Partners, a lobbying firm with deep ties to Trump and Wiles. The family told The Tampa Bay Times that Bondi stole the dog, while Bondi accused the family of neglect.

Persons: Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, Trump, Matt Gaetz, ” Trump, Pam, ” Bondi, Gaetz, Trump’s, ”, Susie Wiles, Boris Epshteyn, Jeff Sessions, Bondi, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, —, “, ” Cooper, …, Wiles, Jack Smith, –, Aileen Cannon, Bernard, Master Tank, Tank Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, of Justice, DOJ, FIRST, Florida Republican, Senate, Bondi, Trump, Democratic, Trump University, Center, Litigation, Policy Institute, Fox News, Obamacare, Ballard Partners, Foreign, Hurricane, Tampa Bay Locations: Florida, Bondi, Mar, Trump, Tampa, Qatar, Louisiana, Tampa Bay Times

By the end of the day, Trump had announced a new pick for attorney general: Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida. One by one, the senator wanted to know who had told Gaetz “yes” they were with him. After being asked for comment for CNN’s story, Gaetz announced his withdrawal as Trump’s nominee for attorney general. “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. Some lawmakers have already asked the parliamentarian to weigh in and clear up the confusion, one source told CNN.

Persons: JD Vance, Matt Gaetz, they’d, Vance, “, Donald Trump, Trump, Gaetz, Gaetz —, he’d, Department —, ” Gaetz, Pam Bondi, Gaetz’s, Republican Sen, Kevin Cramer of North, ” Cramer, wouldn’t, ’, Trump’s, Gaetz couldn’t, Matt, ” Trump, Karoline Leavitt, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kevin McCarthy, Kentucky Sen, Mitch McConnell, Maine Sen, Susan Collins, Oklahoma Sen, Markwayne Mullin, Dakota Sen, Mike Rounds, “ I’m, Rounds, ” Sen, Roger Wicker, Cynthia Lummis, Florida Sen, Rick Scott, ”, Will Gaetz, preemptively, Michael Guest, , CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Senate, Trump, Department, DOJ, Republican, GOP, Republicans, Justice Department, Administration, “, Department of Justice, Fox News, Defense Department, Department of Health, Human Services, Hill, Oklahoma, Mississippi Republican, Wyoming Republican, Democrats Locations: Florida, Washington, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Gaetz, Kentucky, Maine, Dakota, Mississippi, Wyoming

☆ Video: Manu Raju explains why Gaetz’s withdrawal is a relief for the GOP
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Jennifer Smith | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

How relevant is this ad to you? Video player was slow to load content Video content never loaded Ad froze or did not finish loading Video content did not start after ad Audio on ad was too loud Other issues

☆ Federal Inquiry Traced Matt Gaetz’s Venmo Payments to Women
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Michael S. Schmidt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Federal investigators established a trail of payments from Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice to be attorney general, to women including some who testified that Mr. Gaetz hired them for sex, according to a document obtained by The New York Times and a lawyer representing some of the women. The document, assembled by investigators during a three-year sex-trafficking investigation into Mr. Gaetz, is a chart that shows a web of thousands of dollars in Venmo payments between Mr. Gaetz and a group of his friends, associates and women who had drug-fueled sex parties between 2017 and 2020, according to testimony that participants are said to have given to federal and congressional investigators. At the parties, women, and a girl who was 17 at the time, were paid for sex, according to accounts of the participants’ testimony from people briefed on what they said. The document bolsters recent claims by a lawyer for two of the women who say they had sex with Mr. Gaetz for money. It shows thousands of dollars in payments Mr. Gaetz made to both of the lawyer’s clients.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, Donald J, Gaetz Organizations: The New York Times

Trump has been “heavily working the phones” to Republican senators for their support on behalf of Gaetz, according to a transition official. Trump announced Gaetz as his pick nearly a week ago. The official said Trump’s transition knows Gaetz is the toughest confirmation they will have to fight for by far. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, said he had received a phone call from Trump personally urging him to support Gaetz. This year, Trump announced his first pick to be White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles just two days after election day.

Persons: Donald Trump, Justice Department — Matt Gaetz —, Trump, JD Vance, Chris Wray's, Vance, Biden, Pete Hegseth, Gaetz, “ Trump, Sen, John Thune, Kevin Cramer, ” Cramer, Ron Klain, Susie Wiles, Ben Carson, Carson, Elon Musk, Musk, Howard Lutnick Organizations: Justice Department, FBI, Trump, State , Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce, National Intelligence and National Security, White, Urban, Treasury Department, ‘ Department, Government Locations: Mar

☆ Trump escalates test of strength over Gaetz pick
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Video Ad Feedback Lawyer describes client's testimony in House Ethics Committee investigation of Gaetz 03:04 - Source: CNNThe Ethics Committee report has quickly become the first big crisis of the nascent second Trump administration. A small handful of Republican senators would be needed to defect in order to block Gaetz’s nomination when the party controls the Senate majority next year. GOP senators could pay a price for a prolonged confirmation fightIf Trump sticks with his pick, Republican senators feeling the MAGA movement’s pressure could be forced to defend Gaetz for weeks. Maine Sen. Susan Collins told CNN’s Raju that it would be “helpful” to see the House Ethics report. “Whether we get the ethics report or not, the facts are going to come out one way or the other,” Cornyn said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Joel Leppard, CNN’s Erin Burnett, Gaetz, Mike Johnson, Trump, Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, ” Cramer, CNN’s Manu Raju, MAGA, Cramer, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Florida Republican –, Capitol Hill, it’s, Washington Trump, Bill Clinton, Zoë Baird, Kimba Wood, Maine Sen, Susan Collins, CNN’s Raju, Texas Sen, John Cornyn, ” Cornyn, “, Johnson, Susan Wild of, won’t, —, ” CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Axios, Kennedy, Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, It’s Organizations: CNN, Florida Republican, Justice Department, Trump, Gaetz, Fox News, Human Services Department, GOP, Capitol, FBI, Democrat, —, National Intelligence, Senate, Republican, North Dakota Republican Locations: Dakota, Washington, Texas, Susan Wild of Pennsylvania

☆ ‘Morning Joe’ meeting with Trump was driven by fears of retribution from incoming administration, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Brian Stelter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —“Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski announced Monday, in dramatic fashion, that they went to Mar-a-Lago last week for a fence-mending meeting with President-elect Donald Trump. According to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, Scarborough and Brzezinski were credibly concerned that they could face governmental and legal harassment from the incoming Trump administration. For that reason, there are a wide range of feelings about the “Morning Joe” meeting, according to half a dozen employees who spoke on condition of anonymity. Shortly after the Mar-a-Lago meeting was publicized, lawyer and MSNBC host Katie Phang posted on social media, “Normalizing Trump is a bad idea. On Monday afternoon, Scarborough posted a link on X to a Fox News story about his meeting with Trump.

Persons: Joe ”, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Donald Trump, Scarborough, Brzezinski, Trump, Elon Musk, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, “, Katie Phang, Chuck Rocha, Joe, Mika, Jeff Jarvis, ”, White, Steve Bannon, Bannon, Andrew Weissmann, Ari Melber, they’re, Fox, ” Scarborough, Jeff Bezos’s, board’s, Kamala Harris, Bezos Organizations: New, New York CNN, Mar, Lago, MSNBC, CNN, Scarborough, Trump, Democratic, ” Veteran, Fox, Washington Post Locations: New York, Scarborough, America, ”

☆ What awaits the GOP's narrow House majority: From the Politics Desk
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( The Politics Desk | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

In today’s edition, national political reporter Ben Kamisar examines how House Republicans are growing increasingly aligned with Donald Trump. “One of the main takeaways from this cycle is that the Democratic Party has a lot of work to do on how we’re reaching voters,” Democratic strategist Christina Freundlich said. It’s one more thing a narrow House Republican majority will have to work through early next year. The remaining House Republicans are going to have to summon a different level of unity than they have managed recently to move the party’s legislative agenda. Martin O’Malley, a onetime presidential candidate, announced he’d enter the race for Democratic Party chair, but many more names are already circulating.

Persons: Ben Kamisar, Donald Trump, Kristen Welker, Mark Murray, Kamala Harris, Harris, Trump, Christina Freundlich, “, Steve Schale, Barack Obama’s, Joe Biden, ”, ” Schale, Sen, John Fetterman, Sahil Kapur, Syedah Asghar, Ryan Nobles, Kyle Stewart, Mike Johnson, We’re, ” Johnson, Donald Trump’s, you’d, —, Matt Gaetz’s, Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz, Pete Hegseth, Brendan Carr, Carr, Johnson, ann o, lea Organizations: NBC, White House, Capitol, Republicans, Press, Democrats, Democratic Party, Democratic, PAC, Kyle Stewart Congress, “ Fox, Republican, NBC News, Trump, Fox News, Federal Communications Commission’s, adjourning, gov Locations: Florida, Gaetz

☆ Matt Gaetz: Florida court fight gives insight into the House review of sex allegations
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Paula Reid | Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The House Ethics Committee probe into Gaetz, initially launched in 2021, ran into several obstacles, including a lack of access to records collected by a federal criminal investigation into Gaetz. In addition to the House Ethics Committee investigation, Gaetz was separately investigated by the US Justice Department for alleged sex trafficking, obstruction of justice and other potential crimes, but prosecutors declined to bring any charges. The House committee abandoned plans for a closed-door meeting Friday, when lawmakers were expected to consider the release of the report. When asked about the friend’s claim she had sex with Gaetz, Dorworth suggested in the deposition that both women made up their stories. Resignation brings House probe to a haltThe House Ethics Committee probe was started by House Democrats in 2021 but was put on hold while the Justice Department completed its criminal investigation.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, –, Trump, “, ” Gaetz, ”, Joel Greenberg, Greenberg, Gaetz –, Kevin McCarthy, Christopher Dorworth, Dorworth, Johnson, Tapper, ” Dorworth, CNN’s Casey Gannon, Annie Grayer Organizations: CNN, President, Florida Republican, US Justice Department, Committee, DOJ, Department, Trump, Florida House, Justice Department, Miami Herald, House Democrats, Hill Locations: Florida, Orlando federal, ”, Seminole, Bahamas

☆ Trump calling senators directly to lobby for Gaetz’s confirmation as attorney general
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Kristen Holmes | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Search resuls for: "Gaetz’s"

25 mentions found