Matt Gaetz to speak at women's conference at Trump golf club amid sex trafficking probe

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
Ursula Perano
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is currently under federal investigation for possible sex trafficking, is set to speak at a conservative women's conference at former President Trump's Miami golf course on Friday.

What's happening: The Women for America First group will host Gaetz at Trump National Doral golf course, in addition to fellow Florida GOP Reps. Byron Donalds and Kat Cammack.

Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.

  • Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) will also be in attendance, per the Washington Post.

  • Gaetz tweeted on Tuesday, "Thank you to 'Women for America First' for the invitation to share my vision for our great nation."

The state of play: Gaetz has denied allegations of being sexually involved with a 17-year-old, telling Axios in an interview last month that the investigation is "rooted in an extortion effort against my family for $25 million."

  • He is also facing accusations of using campaign cash to pay for unauthorized travel expenses and sharing nude photos of a woman he'd slept with to other lawmakers on the floor of the House.

  • Amy Kremer, chair of the pro-Trump nonprofit Women for America First, told the Washington Post in a statement. "We know firsthand what it is like to be treated unfairly by the main stream media." She defended Gaetz as "innocent until proven guilty."

Driving the news: Trump issued his first statement on the Gaetz controversy on Wednesday, writing, "Congressman Matt Gaetz has never asked me for a pardon. It must also be remembered that he has totally denied the accusations against him."

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences.
Update your settings here to see it.

Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

Recommended Stories

  • Trumpworld refuses to defend Matt Gaetz and called his response to sex-trafficking allegations an 'absolutely embarrassing trainwreck'

    Matt Gaetz hasn't heard a peep from Trumpworld despite being one of former President Donald Trump's most loyal attack dogs.

  • Trump's circle isn't defending Matt Gaetz because 'not a lot of people are surprised' by the allegations

    Conservatives in Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-Fla.) solidly Republican district are backing him amid credible reports that the Justice Department is investigating him for possible sex trafficking violations, paying for sex, and other scandalous allegations, but most other allies and Republican lawmakers are keeping him at arm's length. That includes, so far, Florida's most famous Republican, former President Donald Trump, Gaetz's political pole star. It also includes Trump's supporters in conservative media. "Not a lot of people are surprised," one person involved in Trump's post-presidential operations explained to Politico. A former Trump campaign aide added that "anyone that has ever spent 10 minutes with the guy would realize he's an unserious person." Gaetz has denied the allegations on Twitter, in an op-ed Monday, and in a poorly received interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson. "The reason you haven't seen people in MAGA world defending Gaetz is less about him being unpopular, which he is in a lot of circles, and more about the fact that he hasn't done a single thing to make people comfortable to defend him," one Trump confidante told Politico. "His interview with Tucker was an absolutely embarrassing train wreck." Former Rep. Katie Hill (D-Calif.) wrote in Vanity Fair on Monday that during her unlikely congressional friendship with Gaetz, he told her once "you gotta give the fans on Fox what they want, but I do love Donald Trump," adding, "I don't think I want to be in Congress after he's done as president." Hill wrote that it meant a lot to her when, after her estranged husband leaked naked photos of her during their divorce, including ones showing her in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, "Matt was the first member of Congress who publicly and unapologetically defended me, saying that while I might have made mistakes, I was a victim in this circumstance." But if, as CNN reports, Gaetz shared with GOP colleagues naked photos of women he said he slept with, she said, "he engaged in the very practice he defended me from — and should resign immediately." More stories from theweek.com5 scathingly funny cartoons about MLB vs. the GOPGallup: Democrats now outnumber Republicans by 9 percentage points, thanks to independentsOscar winner Scott Rudin allegedly smashed a computer monitor on an assistant's hand, sending him to the ER

  • Amid sex trafficking probe, Matt Gaetz tests the limits of the Trump playbook

    As federal agents investigate Rep. Matt Gaetz in a sex trafficking probe, the scandal is fast becoming an inflection moment for the post-Trump Republican Party.

  • DA will not prosecute Georgia lawmaker arrested as Kemp signed voting law

    Fulton County's district attorney said she will not prosecute the Georgia lawmaker who was arrested last month when she repeatedly knocked on the door to Gov. Brian Kemp's (R) office after he signed a GOP-sponsored law that would curb voting access in the state, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.Flashback: State Rep. Park Cannon (D) was charged with two felonies after she knocked on Kemp's door as he celebrated the law's passage. Footage shows state patrol officers handcuffing the lawmaker and pulling her away from the scene.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.What they're saying: District Attorney Fani Willis told AJC she considers the case closed. "While some of Rep. Cannon’s colleagues and the police officers involved may have found her behavior annoying, such sentiment does not justify a presentment to a grand jury of the allegations in the arrest warrants or any other felony charges," Willis said.A Georgia State Patrol lieutenant told AJC he arrested Cannon after she refused to stop knocking because he worried about a possible repeat of the Capitol insurrection. But witnesses said there was no attempt to "breach" the office.Cannon said she does not want the charges to draw attention away from the law, calling it the "most comprehensive voter suppression bill in the country," per AJC. Critics say the legislation disproportionately targets Black and Latino voters in Georgia, while Kemp has argued that it would lead to more secure elections. Go deeper: What's in the Georgia voting lawMore from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

  • Republicans Embrace 'Cancel Culture,' Cancel Coke, Baseball and Democracy

    I’m against cancel culture.

  • Mexican private doctors say they've been left out of COVID-19 vaccine rollout

    Mexico's private healthcare personnel are protesting being left out of the government's COVID-19 vaccine rollout, just as the country braces for a potential third wave of infections. Angered by what they see as discrimination by a government prioritizing the public sector, hundreds of health workers that had gathered outside a medical school last week hoping to get inoculated ended up chanting "we want the vaccine." "We realized we weren't even considered," said David Berrones, a Mexico City ophthalmologist who last month launched an informal census of medical professionals awaiting a jab.

  • The 5 best shows on TV tonight: Wednesday 7 April

    Paul O'Grady and his passion for pooches gets into its ninth series tonight, while Top Gear airs a special tribute.

  • 'Embarrassing train wreck': GOP silent amid Matt Gaetz's sex probe

    After years of defending Trump, the former president’s aides now say there’s no help to come to Rep. Gaetz because he is “a grenade whose pin had already been pulled.” MSNBC’s Ari Melber is joined by The Nation’s Elie Mystal to discuss the new position Gaetz finds himself in and why the GOP has essentially abandoned him.

  • CBS defends "60 Minutes" after Florida governor calls show "dishonest" over Publix report

    CBS issued a statement defending "60 Minutes" Wednesday, after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said the program was "dishonest" about the state's partnership with Publix dominating COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Palm Beach County.Driving the news: DeSantis called the show "smear merchants" for reporting Sunday that poorer communities had been left behind, with no Publix Super Markets in Belle Glade, in the Glades area of Palm Beach County. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.He listed several centers and pop-up sites in the county, citing CVS and Wallgreens as vaccine options.What they're saying: CBS said in a statement first obtained by the Washington Post that Publix was the "only" pharmacy with vaccines in January for seniors in the general population of Palm Beach County.It stressed the show's focus was on the Glades area of the county, with mostly Black and Hispanic residents required to drive for 25 miles if they had a car "or take a long bus ride'" to the nearest Publix. It added that COVID vaccines didn't reach the Glades until late February for CVS and mid-March for Walgreens — "well after the Governor began distributing the vaccine with Publix on Jan. 21."CVS and Wallgreen distributed vaccines to nursing homes via federal programs, which is why DeSantis' comments on these companies weren't included in the program, CBS added.For the record: The show raised the ire of DeSantis and other politicians in the state after alleging that the governor announced the Publix partnership weeks after the grocery store group gave $100,000 to his PAC. Both DeSantis and Publix deny any wrongdoing.Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat, tweeted Tuesday that he told "60 Minutes" the Publix story was "bulls--t."Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner (D) accused CBS in a statement Monday of being "intentionally false."Go deeper: DeSantis milks "60 Minutes" spatLike this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • Russia is dialing up its military space ambitions

    Russia is staging shows of military might in orbit as its civil and commercial space sector loses its longstanding edge. Why it matters: These demonstrations threaten to undermine responsible behavior in space, and could put U.S. military — and possibly commercial — assets in orbit at risk.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe U.S. in particular relies on space-based tools for situational awareness, communications, intelligence gathering and other key aspects of warfighting. Driving the news: Russia has steadily been building its military capabilities in orbit, according to a pair of reports about space weapons released last week.According to the reports — from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Secure World Foundation — Russia performed multiple tests of anti-satellite weapons in 2020. One of the most notable was the nation's use of a satellite that appeared to fly close to a U.S. spy satellite before moving away and firing a projectile not far from another, unrelated Russian satellite.Other nations, like China and India, have also tested their own military capabilities in orbit in past years, including developing jamming technologies and anti-satellite missiles.The big picture: Russia's capabilities aren't necessarily new, but the nation's most recent testing of its space weapons has some experts concerned that these types of tests will just inflame tensions in orbit."If you look at what's actually happening, the Russians have been extremely active, and much more so than I think even the Chinese have been," Victoria Samson of the Secure World Foundation told Axios.Russia also seemingly has less to lose in space if these types of tests become the norm by comparison to a nation like the U.S., which relies more than any other country on expensive assets in orbit for warfighting.The intrigue: Russia's space industry and civil space program have faced headwinds in recent years, from budget shortfalls to launch failures to competition from SpaceX and others. And with the International Space Station program coming to an end in the coming years, Russia's close ties in space with the U.S. are fraying. Military space operations appear to be the area where Russia is hoping to maintain its prestige, Samson added.The nation is focusing many of its military efforts — including inspecting that U.S. spy satellite — in low-Earth orbit (LEO), the part of space where many commercial satellite constellations function. "This kind of unusual behavior is more concerning, especially as the United States commercial industry looks to really invest and grow its presence in LEO," Kaitlyn Johnson of CSIS told Axios.Yes, but: No nation has used destructive capabilities against their enemies in orbit, instead opting to test kinetic weapons on their own defunct satellites or in empty parts of space. Countries likely won't use those capabilities unless they're at war and conflicts have escalated, instead opting for electronic means of jamming satellites or intercepting signals from enemy spacecraft, according to experts in space security.The concern isn't necessarily that Russia or other nations will use its military capabilities in orbit to start wars, but that these tools could be used once conflicts have already broken out on the ground."What happens in space reflects what's going on on the ground," Samson said. "So if there's increased potential for conflict in space, that wouldn't be happening independent of increased head-butting on the ground."Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • Matt Gaetz asked White House for blanket preemptive pardon

    The congressman has denied allegations and said he will not resign from office.

  • DA wants to dismiss 90 convictions tied to ex-NYPD detective accused of perjury

    “Knowingly and repeatedly framing innocent people obliterates the credibility of any police officer," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.

  • Georgia gov.: 'Little guy getting screwed' by MLB after erroneous claims by White House

    Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says hardworking Georgians are outraged by President Biden, Major League Baseball and corporate CEOs hurting the state over a voting bill they have 'no idea about.'

  • Stephen Miller launches legal group to block Biden agenda in court

    Former Trump White House senior adviser Stephen Miller has formed a new legal group to challenge the Biden administration's policies through lawsuits, Politico first reported.Why it matters: Miller told the Wall Street Journal Wednesday that any Biden policy that the group, America First Legal, "believes to be illegal" would be "fair game" for litigation, setting up an expansive battlefield for trying to maintain Trump-era policies.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.The big picture: America Legal First will work with state attorneys general and Republican lawyers around the country to file and assist with conservative lawsuits against Biden policies, per the WSJ.Details: Other alumni from the Trump administration are also on board. The group's board of directors includes former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former acting U.S. attorney general Matthew Whitaker.Trump has given his enthusiastic blessing to the venture. In a statement released Wednesday, he praised Miller as a "fearless, principled fighter.""As we know, the Radical Left has been relentless in waging their battles in court," the former president said."Conservatives and America First supporters badly need to catch up and turn the tables, which is why I applaud Stephen and Mark Meadows for rushing to fill this critical void."Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • Matt Gaetz's own aides would reportedly share embarrassing videos of him in GOP circles

    Long before his recent scandal escalated, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) was "regarded as a grenade whose pin had already been pulled," Politico reports. In other words, he had a reputation for a raucous, sometimes "reckless," personal lifestyle. Unfortunately for Gaetz, his own aides reportedly didn't care much about keeping that side of the lawmaker under wraps. The aides would regularly send embarrassing videos of Gaetz to other GOP operatives, two people familiar with the videos told Politico, which may be one reason why few Republicans are offering him support these days. Of course, reports indicate Gaetz was not particularly shy about his actions himself, even boasting about them and sharing inappropriate photos on the House floor, so his aides may have just been taking cues from their boss. Read more at Politico. More stories from theweek.com5 scathingly funny cartoons about MLB vs. the GOPGallup: Democrats now outnumber Republicans by 9 percentage points, thanks to independentsRefund the police

  • Nowhere as worrisome for COVID-19 infections as South America, Brazil concerning: PAHO

    South America is the most worrying region for COVID-19 infections, as cases mount in nearly every country, the director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday. "Nowhere are infections as worrisome as in South America", Director Carissa Etienne said during a weekly press conference. Brazil has seen perhaps the most merciless surge and scientists forecast it will soon surpass the worst of a record January wave in the United States, with daily fatalities climbing above 4,000 on Tuesday.

  • Late night hosts catch up on the Matt Gaetz scandal, laugh at Trump trying to cancel MLB, Coke, everything else

    "Say what you want about Donald Trump, but this man is a legend," Trevor Noah said on Monday's Daily Show. "His last act as president was to rob his own supporters. They loved him so much they stormed the Capitol for him, and meanwhile he was like, 'You go on ahead, I'll watch your stuff. Leave your wallet.'" And last week's story about Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-Fla.) alleged sex crimes "is so insane that we just have to talk about it," Noah said, finding the many accusations plausible. "Do I think that Matt Gaetz looks like a guy who shows photos of naked women to people at work? Yes. But do I think that he would have paid for sex? Yeah, definitely. But do I think that he's the kind of guy who would take ecstasy and have sex with an underage girl? Also, yes." "If you're unfamiliar with ecstasy, it's the feeling you get when you hear bad news about Matt Gaetz," Stephen Colbert joked on The Late Show. He ran through the "GaetzGaete" in loving detail, then turned to Major League Baseball taking its All-Star Game out of Atlanta to protest Georgia's controversial new election law. "You know it's bad when an organization that includes the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians says you're too racist," he said. "That's like Matt Gaetz telling you to date your own age." Trump called for a boycott of MLB and other companies critical of Georgia's vote-constraining law, but "it's really hard to imagine him giving up his beloved Diet Coke," Colbert said. "If he needs a pick-me-up, he'll have to ask Don Jr. to share his supply of coke classic." "With all his complaining about 'cancel culture,' this guy has tried to cancel more culture than anybody ever!" Jimmy Kimmel said on Kimmel Live. He listed all the companies Trump has tried to cancel, including "Merck, which happens to make Propecia, the drug Donald Trump takes to slow his balding down. What are the chances that Donald Trump actually gives up Diet Coke or his bald-head medicine? None, but he wants you to." Republicans are "already boycotting the NFL and the NBA — soon their only sports will be golf and jarts," Jimmy Fallon laughed at The Tonight Show. He also contrasted the very different Easter messages from President Biden and Trump: "Biden celebrated Easter while apparently Trump's still furious about his election 'passover.'" More stories from theweek.com5 scathingly funny cartoons about MLB vs. the GOPGallup: Democrats now outnumber Republicans by 9 percentage points, thanks to independentsTrump slips a 'half-hearted defense' of Matt Gaetz past his handlers

  • CNN journalist arrested outside of the Russian prison where Alexei Navalny is being held and was hospitalized

    At least eight other people were also arrested at the Russian penal colony amid protests demanding Navalny receive proper medical care.

  • Piers Morgan claims he was 'under attack' from Meghan Markle during interview with Tucker Carlson

    Morgan claims Markle was making stuff up in her interview with Oprah Winfrey, even going so far as to compare the duchess to former President Donald Trump.

  • Tucker Carlson defended a man accused of storming the Capitol with zip-tie handcuffs, asking for 'perspective' in how he is treated

    Carlson has sought to portray the response to the Capitol riot as a bid to persecute ordinary conservatives.