Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Sunday floated the possibility of the GOP caucus in the House of Representatives removing embattled Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz from his committees and from the Republican caucus due to his association with ongoing criminal and ethical probes.
Gingrich, appearing on Fox News Sunday, said he thought House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy should consider taking such action, as McCarthy “has an obligation to the other Republicans who are out there campaigning and doing their jobs to make sure that we protect the reputation of the Republican Party.”
He also said it’s important to “not allow somebody to distract from the agenda that we have.”
But he added that he thought “counseling Matt Gaetz privately [so he] can deal with this situation” would be a better way to move forward.
Gingrich’s comments come days after reports that the Justice Department is investigating whether Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old and violated federal sex trafficking laws. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crimes.
