Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday that President-elect Trump's pick for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), is “disqualified” for the top law enforcement job. He said he was thinking about it. country.
“I don't think he's just not qualified. He's really disqualified,” Schiff said in a “State of the Union” interview with CNN's Jake Tapper.
“Will we really have an attorney general with credible allegations of involvement in child prostitution, possible illegal drug use, and obstructing an investigation who has never worked for the Justice Department and is only investigated by the Justice Department? ” Schiff continued.
Schiff suggested that Trump may be testing how far Congress will go as former President Trump prepares for a second term with Republicans in control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. did.
“But Jake, I think the important thing about these candidates, some of them, is that they're disqualified. Is there a positive disqualification or not? ,” Schiff said. “That's what President Trump is saying, because what President Trump wants to do with these candidates is establish that the United States Congress will not stand up to President Trump on anything.”
“If they get Matt Gates' approval, they'll do whatever he wants,” Schiff said.
The Ethics Commission has investigated Gaetz for years, investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use. He has strongly denied allegations of wrongdoing, and the Justice Department, which previously investigated whether he had sex with a 17-year-old, declined to charge him with the crime.
But the Ethics Committee investigation ended abruptly on Wednesday when President Trump resigned from the House of Representatives shortly after nominating Gates to be attorney general. The Ethics Commission has no jurisdiction over former members of Congress.
It is unclear what path the committee will take with the Gates report. But some Republican senators are pushing for the Senate Judiciary Committee to be granted access to the report and findings as it moves through its scrutiny process.
