Rep. Matt Gaetz unleashed significant outrage yesterday when he tweeted what appeared to be a crystal clear threat aimed at Donald Trump’s former longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen. Within the hour, Gaetz was standing in front of his office claiming he wasn’t trying to intimidate Cohen, he was merely “testing” him, whatever that means.
Only a few short hours later, and after likely consultation with legal counsel, Gaetz deleted the tweet and publicly apologized to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Nice try, buddy. Today, Rep. Stacey Plaskett, a former prosecutor, apologized to Michael Cohen for the threats made by Rep. Gaetz and went further, saying Gaetz should be referred to the Ethics Committee for investigation and possibly even referred for criminal charges. Take a listen:
Making matters even worse for Gaetz, the Daily Beast reports the Florida Bar has also opened an investigation into his witness-intimidation tweet.
The organization, which licenses lawyers to practice in the state, would not disclose details of the investigation, but spokesperson Francine Walker, said the bar is “quite aware of [Gaetz’s] comments...and we have opened an investigation.”
“If rules have been violated, The Florida Bar will vigorously pursue appropriate discipline by the Florida Supreme Court,” Walker said in a statement. “The Florida Bar takes its responsibility of regulating lawyer conduct very seriously.”
Gaetz told the Daily Beast he was unaware of the investigation, which might explain why he has been so brazen about appearing in the room as Cohen testified, despite the fact he is not on the House Oversight Committee. He has also been repeatedly seen approaching Rep. Mark Meadows throughout the hearing. Who is giving Gaetz information about Cohen? Why is he boldly standing in that room even after he was so clearly and publicly rebuked for his efforts to intimidate Cohen? Isn’t appearing in the committee room yet another form of intimidation?
If Donald Trump or his close associates are feeding information to Matt Gaetz in an effort to intimidate Michael Cohen, this investigation into conspiracy and obstruction will get even wider.