Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday denied a report claiming that controversial Representative Matt Gaetz was seeking a general pardon at his White House – for himself and unidentified congressional allies – amid a federal investigation into allegations of underage sex trafficking.
“Congressman Matt Gaetz has never asked for a pardon,” the 45th commander in chief said in an emailed statement. “It should also be remembered that he has completely denied the charges against him.”
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Gaetz (R-Fla.) Had allegedly attempted a pardon around the time he was being investigated by the Justice Department for an alleged relationship with a 17-year-old girl who violated sex trafficking laws. violated. two sources familiar with the discussions.
According to the paper, it was unclear whether Gaetz or the White House were aware of the federal probe when he made the request, which aides relayed to the president, adding that it was also unclear whether the police were discussing the matter directly with Trump.
If the reporting is accurate, the conservative firefighter did not tell White House aides that he was under investigation for possible sex trafficking violations when he made the request.
Lawyers and White House officials thought granting a pardon would set a bad precedent, so they turned him down, the sources told the news outlet.
Citing its own sources, ABC News also reported that Trump was aware of Gaetz’s request, which the White House quickly rejected.
In recent days, some Trump employees have theorized that Gaetz’s request for a pardon for himself and others was an attempt to hide his own potential legal exposure, the Times reported.
A Gaetz spokesman denied to the Times that the request was related to the Justice Department investigation.
“Entry-level political agents have merged a pardon from Representative Gaetz – where he called on President Trump to pardon ‘everyone of himself, his administration, Joe Exotic’ – with these false and increasingly bizarre, partisan charges against him,” the representative said. the newspaper.
“Those comments have been on the list for a while and President Trump even retweeted the congressman, who tweeted them herself.”
Gaetz, reached by Politico last week, denied that he had requested a pardon from the then president.
When Gaetz was asked again on Tuesday night, he said he was behind that statement, but warned he hadn’t read the Times piece.
“The recent false charges against me are not something I have ever discussed with Trump, pardon or otherwise,” he told the outlet in his initial denial.
The embattled lawmaker said he and fellow lawmakers had met with Trump to discuss a broader gratification strategy following the January 6 riots at the Capitol – an exchange in which he advised the former president to pardon himself, his family and others for an allegation of rebellion, Politico reported.
Trump was impeached by the House on charges of instigating an uprising, but acquitted in the Senate.
Gaetz has denied all allegations of sexual misconduct.
In an op-ed in the Washington Examiner on Monday, Gaetz said he was “absolutely not resigning” because he blamed the scandal on “political opponents.”
He has remained defiant despite consecutive allegations against him – including federal investigations into whether he paid for sex with women, including a 17-year-old girl.
In addition to Justice’s investigation into allegedly paying the 17-year-old for sex and enticing her to travel, Gaetz has been accused of several wrongdoing, including showing photos of naked women he slept with and that he played a Harry Potter themed ‘sex challenge’ where points were awarded for various romps.
Michael Waldman, president of the nonprofit Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, told ABC News that Gaetz’s “ request was apparently so bizarre that even President Trump turned it down. ”
A general grace would be extraordinary. A general pardon to a member of Congress under investigation would have been even more extraordinary, ”Waldman told the network.
“It is an open question whether a president can give a general pardon in advance, as it amounts to an invitation to break the law,” he added.
Gaetz had previously expressed support for Trump’s presidential pardon.
In a Nov. 24 appearance on Fox News, Gaetz stated that Trump “should forgive Michael Flynn, forgive the Thanksgiving turkey, he should forgive everyone from himself to his government officials to Joe Exotic if he has to.”
“Because you see from the radical left a bloodlust that will only be quenched when they find out about the people who worked so hard to animate the Trump administration with the policies and the strength and effectiveness that the American people brought,” he said. Laura. Ingraham. “So I think the president should exercise that power of pardon effectively and forcefully.”