In a new book from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide in the Trump administration, she relays multiple arguably unsettling incidents involving Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who — in these accounts — repeatedly seemed intent on making romantic (or other) inroads with Hutchinson.
The former aide has also recounted other unsettling incidents which she says she has experienced, including groping from Trump ally Rudy Giuliani on the day of the Capitol riot, which Giuliani’s team predictably denies, though he’s also facing claims of shocking sexual misconduct from a former employee. Pressed for comment, Gaetz claimed in a statement that he actually previously dated Hutchinson — though he claimed he did so for mere weeks.
“I never dated Matt Gaetz,” Hutchinson said during a broadcast on MSNBC. “I have much higher standards in men, and Matt, frankly, is a very unserious politician. We see that today with the ruckus that he is causing on Capitol Hill with the spending negotiations. And I’m not — I don’t really have much else to say to somebody that is more concerned about a sound bite than actually passing legislation.” Hutchinson was speaking with host Rachel Maddow on the network.
Hutchinson vaguely referenced some of the other problems that have involved Gaetz, who infamously faced suspicion for a time of connections to child sex trafficking, though related investigations have not resulted in any criminal charges against him. Past reporting in the media alleged he also showed adult images while on the House floor of women with whom he claimed he’d had sexual encounters.
Meanwhile, in terms of his actual Congressional work, he’s occupied himself with trying to stop Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from becoming House Speaker, issuing sweeping demands amid the more recent negotiations over necessary government funding that could result in a shutdown, and trying — and failing — to notch wins on foreign policy, from the removal of U.S. troops from certain overseas environments to the cancellation of past presidential declarations of a national emergency.
