CONTENTS COMPLAINT TO REMOVE REP. MATT GAETZ FROM THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE - Homefront Fidelity Project
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COMPLAINT TO REMOVE REP. MATT GAETZ
FROM THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
Submitted to GOP Minority Rep. Leader McCarthy and GOP Chairman Rep. Cheney
CONTENTS
(1) REP. GAETZ’S LEGISLATIVE RECORD AGAINST OUR NATIONAL INTEREST AND
THAT OF AMERICAN SERVICEMEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
1. Weak oversight record
2. Adverse voting record
(2) REP. GAETZ’S PUBLIC CONDUCT AND SPEECH UNBECOMING OF A MEMBER OF THE
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
1. Intimidation of a congressional witness
2. Attacks on intelligence and defense institutions and experts
3. Undermining public health measures during a pandemic.
4. Ties to white supremacists and other extremist groups
5. Undermining faith in the election and the peaceful transfer of power
6. Improper use of government resources for self-promotion and personal gain
(3) APPENDIX
1. Screen shots of Twitter posts from @RepMattGaetz, @mattgaetz and @GaetzTakes
2. 8/3/2020 Email & statement from Rep. Gaetz aide to the Homefront Fidelity Project
3. Florida Bar Association Grievance Committee letter re: Michael Cohen matter
4. House Committee on Ethics Report on the Matter of Matt Gaetz, re: Michael Cohen
5. Letter from Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson re: Gaetz et al breach of SCIF
security protocols
6. Letter from Rep. Gaetz to President Trump and Duncan Hunter re: Eddie Gallagher
7. Resignation letter from Secretary of the Navy Spencer
Respectfully submitted on January 19, 2020 by:
Veterans for Responsible Leadership Homefront Fidelity Project
https://vfrl.org/ www.homefrontfidelity.org
email: contact@vfrl.org email: info@homefrontfidelity.org
Phone: 850-972-9080
January 19, 2021
HASC/Gaetz Complaint Page |2
(1) REP. GAETZ’S LEGISLATIVE RECORD AGAINST THE NATIONAL INTEREST AND
THAT OF AMERICAN SERVICEMEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
In his book Firebrand, Rep. Gaetz wrote that “if you aren’t making news, you aren’t governing.” While
Representative Gaetz might confuse public relations with legislating, the 1.4 million active duty servicemembers and
their families who depend on the House Armed Services Committee do not. No matter how many times the
Congressman gives media interviews claiming to fight for the military “with a whip and a chair”1 the fact remains
that his legislative record is among the weakest in the history of the Armed Services Committee.
It is evident from the Congressman’s copious public statements that he fancies himself a disruptor in the national
security arena, despite having no prior military service or relevant expertise. It should go without saying that defense
policy is no place for amateurs, self-styled “firebrands” or political hacks. The stakes are simply too high, for both
our nation’s security and the men and women who risk their lives to protect it.
1. Weak oversight record
At the heart of our complaint is the Congressman’s repeated neglect of his basic oversight duties of the Armed
Services Committee. Time and again, he has conducted himself like
a White House staffer, not a member of a separate and equal branch
of government charged with holding the executive branch
accountable for military affairs.
For example, despite being a member of the Subcommittee on
Military Personnel, Gaetz has been silent on the unprecedented
personnel churn of “acting” Pentagon officials as well as their
refusal to participate in the Biden-Harris transition process. Nor has
Gaetz shown any due diligence in the face of the President Trump’s
erratic, reckless troop withdrawal decisions that put our armed
service members at additional risk, opting instead to cheerlead these
decisions and ignore and discredit cautions from the experts. The
Congressman has also ignored calls for accountability from military
families on matters ranging from the health risks of black mold in
military base housing to Russian bounties on our soldiers in Afghanistan.2
Nor did the Congressman object when President Trump diverted $3.6B from the military to fund the border wall. In
fact, the Congressman applauded the controversial decision and downplayed the impact on the military community.3
In all, 127 military bases lost funding for much-needed construction projects, ranging from weapons training facilities
to childcare centers to emergency facilities.4
Instead of ensuring these diverted military funds were spent with integrity, Gaetz also played a key role in bypassing
federal government procurement rules. With Gaetz’s apparent assistance, $2B was granted to Fisher Construction,
despite the Army Corps of Engineers determination that they were too inexperienced to be included in the bidding
process. 5 Fisher was awarded the first of three grants in December of 2019, after Representative Gaetz led a junket to
1
Thomas St. Myer, “Gaetz to serve on Armed Services, Budget committees,” Pensacola News Journal, Jan. 10, 2017.
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/10/gaetz-serve-two-us-house-committees/96390046/
2
See page 37 in the Appendix for 8/3/2020 email exchange between The Homefront Fidelity Project and Boris Kizenko,
aid to Congressman Gaetz.
3
Rep. Gaetz, Statement on the Utilization of Military Funds for Border Security, September 5, 2019.
https://gaetz.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-matt-gaetz-releases-statement-utilization-military-funds-border
4
Jim Little, “Tyndall Air Force Base sees $17 million cut to help fund Trump's Mexico border wall,” Pensacola News
Journal, Pensacola News Journal, September 5, 2019. https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/09/05/tyndall-air-force-base-
sees-17-million-cut-help-fund-mexico-border-wall/2222006001/
5
Nick Miroff, “He builds the wall: How North Dakota’s Tommy Fisher scored $2 billion in Trump border contracts,”
Washington Post, September 14, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/trump-border-wall-tommy-
fisher/2020/09/14/8176798a-ed52-11ea-a21a-0fbbe90cfd8c_story.html#comments-wrapper
January 19, 2021
HASC/Gaetz Complaint Page |3
Fisher Construction in Arizona to hype their product.6 7 Fisher would later be awarded another $1.3B and $289M,
despite faulty construction8 and a Pentagon Inspector General investigation.9
2. Adverse voting record
In addition to his weak oversight record, the Congressman has repeatedly voted against the nation’s interest and that
of its service-members and their families.
For example, in 2019, Gaetz voted against an act supporting NATO, the cornerstone of the post-war world order and
critical deterrent to Russian aggression. He also ignored cautions from then Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and
outrage from the veteran community about abandoning Kurdish allies, voting against legislation that would ensure the
responsible withdrawal from Syria. In two recent votes, the
Congressman again shirked his duty to protect the troops and
conduct meaningful oversight of rushed withdrawals from
Germany and Afghanistan. These measures were aligned with
Pentagon recommendations and introduced by combat veterans,10
whom Gaetz predictably attacked as “warmongers.”11
In October of 2020, Gaetz was one of only five House votes
against the Peaceful Transfer of Power Act. This vote is
particularly troubling in light of the Congressman’s incendiary
rhetoric and close ties to Michael Flynn, the disgraced retired Lt.
General and QAnon devotee who recently advocated for martial
law12 and whose followers were among the violent mob that
stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. (See Part 2
“Undermining faith in the election and the peaceful transfer of
power” for additional details.)
But the most egregious example of Gaetz playing politics with the troops was his December vote against the National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one of only two NAY votes of HASC Republicans. Not only does the NDAA
fund the recruitment, training and equipment needed to ensure military readiness, but also the salaries, healthcare,
housing and schools on which our military families depend.
The Congressman’s legislative record has put him at odds with military experts, as well as his colleagues on the
House Armed Services Committee and in the Republican Conference. Each controversial NAY vote has generated
considerable media attention and countless opportunities to push his new narrative that the Congressman is on a
lonely, principled crusade to bring the troops home because he “loves them so much.”
Make no mistake: Gaetz’s policy positions and voting record are that of an isolationist. Whether Gaetz’s headline-
grabbing defense record stems from inexperience and incompetence, sincerely held beliefs, or a craven political
calculation is immaterial, isolationists do not belong on the Armed Services Committee.
6
Oliver Willis, “GOP congressmen pretend they watched wall construction at the 'border',” American Independent, April
16, 2019. https://americanindependent.com/gop-congressmen-matt-gaetz-border-wall-lie/
7
https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz/status/1118220509647441923?s=20
8
Jerry Lambe, “Border Wall Built by Trump’s Hand-Picked Contractor Is ‘in Danger of Falling into the Rio Grande,’” Law
and Crime, July 2, 2020. https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/border-wall-built-by-trumps-hand-picked-contractor-is-in-
danger-of-falling-into-the-rio-grande/
9
Chairman Thompson, “Pentagon Inspector General to Review $400 Million Border Wall Contract After Thompson
Request, House Committee on Homeland Security. December 12, 2019. https://homeland.house.gov/news/press-
releases/pentagon-inspector-general-to-review-400-million-border-wall-contract-after-thompson-request
10
Helene Cooper, “Top General Declines to Endorse Trump’s Afghan Withdrawal Timeline,” New York Times,
Oct. 12, 2020, updated Nov. 16, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/world/asia/trump-milley-afghanistan.html
11
Statement from Office of Matt Gaetz emailed to the Homefront Fidelity Project. See page 37 of the Appendix.
12
Howard Altman, “Calls for martial law and US military oversight of new presidential election draws criticism,” Military
Times, December 2, 2020. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/12/02/calls-for-martial-law-and-us-
military-oversight-of-new-presidential-elections-draws-criticism/
January 19, 2021
HASC/Gaetz Complaint Page |4
Rep. Gaetz voting record on key national security legislation
Gaetz HASC Full
Legislation Vote GOP House
only Vote
H.R.676 The NATO Support Act NAY 21-2 357-22
This bill prohibits the appropriation or use of funds to withdraw the
United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
H.J.Res. 77 Syria Withdrawal NAY 26-7 354-60
Opposing the decision to end certain United States efforts to prevent
Turkish military operations against Syrian Kurdish forces in Northeast
Syria.
H.Res. 1155 Peaceful Transfer of Power Act NAY 21-1 397-5
This resolution reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives
to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the
Constitution and expresses the intention of the House that there be no
disruptions by the President or any person in power to overturn the will
of the people.
H.R. 7343Afghanistan Partnership and Transparency Act NAY 26-8 N/A
To limit the use of funds to reduce the number of Armed Forces deployed (incl.as
to Afghanistan, and for other purposes. amendment
to NDAA)
H.R. 6395 National Defense Authorization Act NAY 25-2 332-87
This bill authorizes FY2021 appropriations and sets forth policies for
Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including
military personnel strengths.
January 19, 2021
HASC/Gaetz Complaint Page |5
(2) REP. GAETZ’S PUBLIC CONDUCT AND SPEECH IS UNBECOMING OF A MEMBER
OF THE HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
Over the last four years, Gaetz has invested considerable resources into building a massive communications
platform, an investment that has catapulted him from a freshman Congressman in a small district in Florida’s
panhandle to a national celebrity of sorts. The Congressman is active on at least four social media platforms and a
regular guest on more than a dozen cable, radio and Youtube shows. His three Twitter accounts (government,
campaign and podcast) boast a combined 2M followers13 and more than 15 tweets on a typical a day. His Hot
Takes with Matt Gaetz is a top-rated political podcast, distributed on ten commercial platforms. In a typical week,
he will broadcast cable news appearances from his private TV studio at least once a day, reaching millions more
Americans. This fall, he was featured in an HBO documentary The Swamp and released his first book, Firebrand.
To be clear, we are not objecting to Gaetz’s shameless self-promotion and grand-standing. Rather, our objection
is that Representative Gaetz has marshaled his considerable communications arsenal—largely built and operated
with tax dollars—for his own personal gain and in a manner that is contrary to the public good, rather than in its
service. Instead of acting as an ambassador of the Armed Services Committee and educating citizens on national
security issues or trying to unite the country in these uncertain times, Gaetz chooses to discredit our defense and
intelligence institutions, inflame divisions and unrest and spread disinformation. Instead of listening to the
concerns of his military constituents and their families, he works to silence and bully us.14
Following is a small sampling of the Congressman’s outrageous conduct and mounting ethical problems,
selected for their relevance to his service on the House Armed Services Committee. (See pp. 16-36 in the
Appendix for screen shots of relevant social media posts.)
1. Intimidation of a Congressional Witness
In February of 2019, a day before the President’s former attorney Michael Cohen was to testify before Congress,
Representative Gaetz tweeted: "Hey @MichaelCohen212 - Do your wife & father-in-law know about your
girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she'll remain faithful when you're in
prison. She's about to learn a lot..." 15
The tweet was widely interpreted as an attempt to intimidate Mr. Cohen before his testimony and earned him
rebuke from both the House Ethics Committee and the Florida Bar Association.16 The Florida Bar association
deemed the conduct “unprofessional, reckless, insensitive, and demonstrated poor judgment.” The House Ethics
Committee concurred with the findings of the Florida Bar and formally admonished Rep. Gaetz.17
Because the Congressman deleted the tweet and issued a public apology, both the bar association and ethics panel
stopped short of a formal discipline. In its written rebuke, the House Ethics Committee reminded him that “the
requirement that Members conduct themselves at all times in a manner that reflects creditably on the House
extends to their electronic communications.” It is clear from our exhaustive review of Rep. Gaetz’s sizeable body
of communications that he has not heeded this warning.
2. Attacks on Intelligence and Defense Institutions and Experts
Most troubling about Rep. Gaetz’s service on the House Armed Services Committee has been the extreme
partisanship and stubborn anti-expertise thinking that he has injected into the serious policy development work of
the Committee.
13
Total Twitter followers calculated before Twitter ban on accounts associated with white supremacy and extremism.
14
Jake Tapper, CNN anchor, “Gaetz attacking a Navy mom as a “Karen” for writing an oped criticizing him for, in her
view, undermining institutions and alliances as a member of the House Armed Services Committee.”
https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1309918685797244928?s=20
15
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics, In the Matter of Matt Gaetz, August 21, 2020,
https://ethics.house.gov/sites/ethics.house.gov/files/documents/Committee%20Report_21.pdf
16
Jim Rosicaon, “Florida Bar panel calls Matt Gaetz ‘unprofessional, reckless, insensitive’,” Florida Politics, August 17,
2019. https://floridapolitics.com/archives/303569-florida-bar-panel-matt-gaetz
17
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ethics
January 19, 2021
HASC/Gaetz Complaint Page |6
Despite having no prior military service or training in national security himself, Gaetz has continually—and
arrogantly—pushed policies in defiance of the experts. His positions on complex defense and intelligence issues
are simplistic, at best, and dangerously ignorant, at worst. Maximizing public relations and political favor with
President Trump—rather than exercising oversight by a coequal branch and developing sound national security
policy and ensuring force protection—appear to be his primary aim. We see no evidence of a good faith debate of
issues that our men and women in uniform deserve. Instead, the Congressman has repeatedly chosen to sow
division and chaos—in the process undermining the very defense and intelligence institutions our military depend
on for mission fulfilment and safety. It is painfully evident that Congressman is indifferent to the erosion of
public faith and trust in these vital institutions that his attacks have caused.
Discrediting officials as “deep state” or “swampy.”
When faced with resistance from the national security
establishment to his ill-informed policy ideas, the
Congressman typically resorts to personal attacks and
name-calling: the tired “deep-state” and “swamp” being
his go-to insults. Officials at the Pentagon, Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA), Department of Justice (DOJ), the Joint
Chiefs, the Department of State (DOS), and even the U.S.
Supreme Court have been the object of his personal
attacks.
While these attacks may seem simply childish and disrespectful, the cumulative effect is the erosion of public
faith and confidence in the rule of law and the institutions charged with protecting our national security.
The Congressman has also repeatedly attacked his colleagues on the House Intelligence Committee. In October
of 2019, the Congressman crashed the closed impeachment proceedings of the House Intelligence Committee
held in a Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facility (SCIF). The Congressman refused to leave,
unnecessarily delaying the deposition of national security expert Fiona Hill. A few weeks later, Rep. Gaetz and a
group of House members stormed another SCIF to disrupt yet another classified House Intelligence Committee
proceeding, this time the deposition of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper. The standoff lasted
more than five hours and resulted in a security breach as members of Gaetz’s group brought smart phones into
the SCIF.
Rep. Gaetz cavalierly shrugged off the breach of security protocols meant to protect against electronic
surveillance and leaks of national security information, using the media attention to discredit the Intelligence
Committee as “Soviet.” Gaetz showed great recklessness and disregard for America’s servicemembers and
intelligence and foreign service officers whose safety in part depends on these security protocols. If a member of
the military, a civilian government employee or private defense contractor conducted themselves in the same
way, they would certainly lose their security clearance, and rightly so.
We share Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson’s concern about the Congressman’s SCIF
security breach in his October 23, 2019 letter to the House Sergeant at Arms.18 To Chairman Thompson’s
concerns, we would add our disappointment that the Conference has not imposed any consequences for this
reckless stunt.
Note: Despite Mr. Gaetz’s headline-grabbing criticism of the defense and intelligence establishment, major
defense and aerospace companies are among the Congressman’s biggest campaign contributors.19
18
See page 42 in Appendix for Thompson letter.
19
Rep. Matt Gaetz Contributions, Open Secrets. https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/matt-
gaetz/contributors?cid=N00039503&cycle=CAREER
January 19, 2021
HASC/Gaetz Complaint Page |7
Misleading information and false claims.
When personal attacks and publicity stunts are not sufficient to discredit our intelligence and defense institutions,
Rep. Gaetz resorts to diversion and false claims:
▪ Conditions-free, rushed troop withdrawals.
Nowhere is Gaetz’s breach of his constitutional oversight duty more evident than in his fawning support of
the President’s reckless troop withdrawal decisions. Selling conditions-free, rushed withdrawals against the
advice of senior military experts is the job of a White House communications staffer, not a member of a
separate and equal branch of government, let alone one serving on the House Armed Services Committee.
For the last nine months though, Rep. Gaetz has been on a media tour urging the American public to ignore
the cautions from the defense and counter-terrorism experts: namely that rushed withdrawals leave our allies
in a lurch and create a security vacuum likely to boost terrorist groups and further de-stabilize the region.
For example, the Congressman cheered the ill-advised withdrawal from Syria and then obscured the
significant fallout after the fact, absurdly declaring victory in Syria and crediting President Trump with
ending the Syrian Civil War. The
Congressman would likewise ignore
reports from the ground in Afghanistan,
including a Pentagon Inspector General
report to Congress that found an
escalation of Taliban violence toward
allied forces, potentially jeopardizing
peace talks.20 Against the advice of
senior military leaders and even though
the conditions of U.S. withdrawal have yet to be met, Gaetz has repeatedly boosted President Trump’s call
for the immediate withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan. In one particularly fawning tweet, Gaetz called
Trump’s announcement “The greatest Christmas gift anyone could possibly give!”
The accelerated timeline championed by Gaetz has been roundly criticized by national security experts and
retired military leaders as “political” and “without merit.” The Congressman’s nakedly political position on
troop withdrawals has put him at odds with the military establishment, the House Armed Services Committee
and much of the Republican Conference.
Predictably, he has rationalized his positions by sowing more
division and confusion. The Congressman routinely makes
baseless claims about overwhelming public support for his
crusade, a claim his office declined to substantiate.21 Our
coalition could find no evidence—from public reporting,
veteran or military family groups or public opinion polls—
that the American people support his call for abrupt,
conditions-free troop withdrawals like he claims.
He’s also rationalized his break with the military
establishment by attempting to sow division in the military
ranks. In October, he shared conspiracy theorist Michael
Farnan’s book, The Russia Lie: How the Military Industrial
Complex Targeted Trump. With an unforgivable disregard for troop morale and cohesion, Gaetz would also
try to pit enlisted service members against their officers, repeatedly claiming that military leaders were
“warmongers” who treated their enlisted servicemembers “disposable commodities.”22
20
Lead Inspector General for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Quarterly Report to the United States Congress, July 1, 2020 -
September 30, 2020. https://www.dodig.mil/reports.html/Article/2416225/lead-inspector-general-for-operation-freedoms-
sentinel-i-quarterly-report-to-th/
21
See page 37 in Appendix for email between Office of Rep. Gaetz and the Homefront Fidelity Project.
22
Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Ro Khana, “Congress Should Welcome Troops Home — Not Delay Their Return,” Daily
Caller, July 13, 2020, https://dailycaller.com/2020/07/13/rep-matt-gaetz-and-rep-ro-khanna-congress-should-welcome-
troops-home-not-delay-their-return/
January 19, 2021
HASC/Gaetz Complaint Page |8
▪ Eddie Gallagher clemency. A month before former Navy SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher’s court martial for
more than a dozen war crimes, 23 Rep. Gaetz intervened on Gallagher’s behalf. In a one-page letter to
President Trump, Gaetz, an attorney, made sweeping and unsubstantiated allegations about the U.S. Navy
Justice system’s bias against Gallagher and mistreatment of him while incarcerated. Among his examples of
“unacceptable” and “appalling treatment” were that Gallagher’s lawyer needed permission to enter the
military base where Gallagher was housed in the Brig and that Gallagher was only allowed one physical
embrace per visit with this family. Gaetz then leapt to the absurd conclusion that “the only appropriate action
for you as Commander-In-Chief is to remove this case from the Navy’s legal system… and dismiss charges
against Chief Gallagher.”24
Gaetz’s letter would set into motion an unprecedented series of political meddling into Navy command’s
efforts to maintain good order and discipline. At Gaetz’s urging, the President ordered by tweet that
Gallagher be moved to less restrictive confinement and privately pressured then Secretary of the Navy
Richard Spencer to agree to a pre-trial pardon.25 When Gallagher was ultimately convicted of posing with the
corpse of a combatant and demoted as part of his sentence, the President overruled the sentence and restored
Chief Gallagher to his rank of E-7. When the top SEAL Commander Rear Admiral Collin Green convened
the standard peer review to determine if Gallagher would be allowed to keep his SEAL Trident pin, the
President pre-empted the review and pronounced he would keep it. Secretary Spencer would ultimately
resign in protest of this political interference in the Navy’s efforts to instill better ethics and accountability in
the special forces.26
Note: Gaetz’s co-signor was Duncan Hunter, the former member of Congress who was convicted of stealing
campaign funds and recently pardoned by President Trump along with four war criminals.
3. Undermining Public Health Measures During a Pandemic.
Representative Gaetz’s response to the COVID-19 virus is perhaps
the most illustrative example of our concern about the Congressman’s
character and judgement, second only to his 2008 decision to drive
drunk. While Department of Defense (DOD) and other government
agencies and employers have been busy grappling in good faith with
how to protect Americans from the serious risk of the virus, Gaetz
was has been politicizing the public health response and sowing more
division, confusion and misinformation.
Discrediting and mocking mitigation efforts. In March, while DOD
responded to the serious COVID threat with a Stop Movement Order27 that affected all DOD personnel, Rep.
Matt Gaetz was donning a military-style gas mask on the floor of the House and quipping to reporters that spring
break should not be cancelled because, “In my experience, the things you consume on spring break will typically
consume the coronavirus.”28
23
Dave Phillips, “Anguish and Anger From the Navy SEALs Who Turned In Edward Gallagher,” New York Times,
December 27, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/27/us/navy-seals-edward-gallagher-video.html
24
Letter from Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Duncan Hunter to President Donald Trump, January 30, 2019. See page 43 in
Appendix.
25
Richard Spencer, “I was fired as Navy secretary. Here’s what I’ve learned because of it,” Washington Post, November
27, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/richard-spencer-i-was-fired-as-navy-secretary-heres-what-ive-learned-
because-of-it/2019/11/27/9c2e58bc-1092-11ea-bf62-eadd5d11f559_story.html
26
Resignation letter of Secretary of Navy Richard Spencer. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6558862-Spencer-
Letter.html See also page 44 in Appendix.
27
Deputy Secretary of Defense, Stop Movement Order Memo, Department of Defense, March 13, 2020.
https://media.defense.gov/2020/Mar/13/2002264686/-1/-1/1/STOP-MOVEMENT-FOR-ALL-DOMESTIC-TRAVEL-
FOR-DOD-COMPONENTS-IN-RESPONSE-TO-CORONAVIRUS-2019.PDF
28
“Gotta Pass Gas (Masks) ... THEN, CORONAVIRUS FUNDING,” TMZ, March 4, 2020.
https://www.tmz.com/2020/03/04/matt-gaetz-congress-funding-coronavirus/
January 19, 2021
HASC/Gaetz Complaint Page |9
As the pandemic escalated, DOD would develop health protocols in cooperation with local, state and national
experts.29 According to the DOD, 61% of military installations are still under COVID travel restrictions—
including Pensacola Naval Air Station in the Congressman’s district—affecting thousands of armed
servicemembers and their families.30 Meanwhile, Representative Gaetz mocked these types of measures as
“hid[ing] under your bed and hop[ing] that the virus won’t ever find you.”31 When the CDC issued guidance
urging American to avoid large holiday gatherings, Gaetz called it a “War on Thanksgiving” and mocked Dr.
Anthony Fauci as ‘COVID Yoda.’32 Throughout the election season, the Congressman would be photographed
brazenly flouting CDC guidance on masks, social distancing and large groups.
Inciting COVID-related unrest and violence. In March, the
Department of Homeland Security warned about violent
extremists and domestic terrorists exploiting COVID-19 to “incite
violence, intimidate targets and promote their ideologies.”33
Despite this warning, Gaetz would increasingly use incendiary
rhetoric to describe COVID measures, calling them the “most
oppressive form of government control.” He would also seek out
opportunities to attack what he branded “anti-liberty” Democratic
governors grappling with serious outbreaks and hospital shortages
in their states.34
Months before the FBI foiled a plot to kidnap and murder the
Governor of Michigan, Gaetz was on cable news hurling attacks
against her.35 He was likewise fanning the flames in Oregon,
weeks before armed anti-lockdown protestors stormed the state
house.36
Gaetz has also used his bully pulpit to celebrate those who defied state and local COVID measures. For example,
Gaetz would declare on his podcast that he stood with the two controversial California sheriffs who had
announced they would not enforce Governor Newsome’s COVID ordinance. Last month on Twitter, he tweeted
29
“What Do Travel Restrictions Mean for Military Families?” FAQ, Department of Defense.
https://www.militaryonesource.mil/moving-housing/moving/planning-your-move/what-do-travel-restrictions-mean-for-
military-
families/#:~:text=The%20Department%20of%20Defense%20will%20begin%20phasing%20out,to%20the%20most%20fre
quently%20asked%20questions%20about%20travel.
30
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions, Installation Status, Department of Defense.
https://media.defense.gov/2020/Dec/30/2002558522/-1/-1/1/COVID-19-TRAVEL-RESTRICTIONS-INSTALLATION-
STATUS-UPDATE-DECEMBER-30-2020.PDF
31
Josh Feldman, “Gaetz: Trump Getting Covid Shows ‘No Lockdown Can Be a Panacea to Save Everyone from
Everything,’ Reopening Strategy Should Continue,” Mediaite, October 3, 2020. https://www.msn.com/en-
us/news/politics/gaetz-trump-getting-covid-shows-no-lockdown-can-be-a-panacea-to-save-everyone-from-everything-
reopening-strategy-should-continue/ar-BB19ECb4
32
Jeff Poor, “Gaetz: ‘There Is Blood on Cuomo’s Hands Just Because of Abject Stupidity’,” Brietbart News, November 28,
2020. https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2020/11/28/gaetz-there-is-blood-on-cuomos-hands-just-because-of-abject-stupidity/
33
Alexa Lardieri, “Homeland Security Warns Terrorists Could Exploit Coronavirus Pandemic,” U.S. News and World
Reports, March 24, 2020. https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2020-03-24/homeland-security-warns-that-
terrorists-could-exploit-coronavirus-pandemic
34
Jeff Poor, “Gaetz: ‘There Is Blood on Cuomo’s Hands Just Because of Abject Stupidity’.”
35
Oliver Willis, “Gaetz: Michigan governor only complains about lack of supplies to attack Trump,” American
Independent, May 4, 2020. https://americanindependent.com/matt-gaetz-coronavirus-donald-trump-gretchen-whitmer-
michigan-governor-house-gop-covid-19/
36
Jesse O’Neill, “Anti-lockdown protestors kick in door at Oregon statehouse,” NY Post, December 21, 2020.
https://nypost.com/2020/12/21/anti-lockdown-protestors-kick-in-door-at-oregon-statehouse/
January 19, 2021
HASC/Gaetz Complaint P a g e | 10
photos at a political gala held in New Jersey, flaunting the group’s violation of the governor’s executive order
mandating masks and social distancing. The matter has since been referred to law enforcement.37
At a December 19, 2020 Turning Point USA event, Gaetz doubled-down on his attacks on the Democratic
governors, “with their emergency orders and bitchy little edicts. We will never give them the power to shut down
the American spirit and the American way of life.”38 So far, Gaetz would tweet the Turning Point USA speech
more than two dozen times.
4. Ties to White Supremacists and Other Hate Groups
In 2019, a Military Times survey revealed an alarming increase in white supremacy and racist ideology in the
military ranks. Thirty-six percent of respondents—a 14% increase over the prior year—had “seen evidence of
white supremacist and racist ideologies in the military.”39
That same year, the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization that tracks hate and extremist
groups across the country, reported a 55% increase in white nationalist hate groups since 2017.40 In September of
2020, FBI Director Christopher Wray reported to Congress that racially-
motivated, white-extremism was “the biggest chunk” of domestic
terrorism.41 In October, the Department of Homeland Security would
concur with the FBI’s finding in its annual report to Congress, warning
that “racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists—specifically
white supremacists—will remain the most persistent and lethal threat to
the Homeland.” The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a
nonprofit think tank, would later calculate that of the domestic terror
attacks and plots in 2020, 67% were by white supremacists and 20% by
anarchists/antifa.42
These are staggering statistics that require moral and ethical leadership
from our public officials, military and civilian alike. A responsible leader
would be informed about the mounting risks of white-supremacy and
extremism and would use his or her platform to educate the public on the
problem, taking great pains not to inflame the divisions. Instead of leading, Gaetz has exploited the rise in
extremism. The Congressman has continually misled the American people about the threat of far-right political
violence and flaunted a number of provocative, high-profile associations with known white supremacist and
extremist groups, including many involved in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Denying the national security threat of white supremacy and extremism. On October 26, 2020, just days
after the FBI and Department of Homeland Security reported to Congress about the threat of white supremacists
and other far-right extremists, Gaetz would host a podcast to directly contradict and politicize their findings,
telling his listeners, “Efforts to scare, intimidate and hurt people aren’t coming from the Right. It’s coming from
37
Cristina Cabrera, “NJ Guv. Tells Gaetz To Stay Away From State After Rep. Attends Mask-Free Fundraiser,” Talking
Points Memo, December 4, 2020. https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/nj-guv-tells-gaetz-to-stay-away-from-state-after-
rep-attends-mask-free-fundraiser
38
Rep. Matt Gaetz, Turning Point USA, December 19, 2020.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=5392&v=mBw5KvcCpBk&feature=youtu.be
39
Leo Shane III, “Signs of white supremacy, extremism up again in poll of active-duty troops,” Military Times, February 6,
2020. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/02/06/signs-of-white-supremacy-extremism-up-again-
in-poll-of-active-duty-troops/
40
Southern Poverty Law Center, “The Year in Hate and Extremism 2019.”
https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/yih_2020_final.pdf
41
Olivia Beavers, “Wray: Racially motivated violent extremism makes up most of FBI's domestic terrorism cases,” The
Hill, September 9, 2020. https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/516888-wray-says-racially-motivated-violent-
extremism-makes-up-most-of-fbis
42
The Center for Strategic and International Studies, “The War Comes Home: The Evolution of Domestic Terrorism in the
United States,” October 22, 2020. https://www.csis.org/analysis/war-comes-home-evolution-domestic-terrorism-united-
states
January 19, 2021HASC/Gaetz Complaint P a g e | 11
the radical Left.” As with all of his podcasts and TV and radio appearances, Gaetz would repackage and recycle
this misleading statement in dozens of social media posts and subsequent media interviews.
Denying the threat of political violence from the right would become a standard Gaetz refrain. The Congressman
would also repeat this fiction on January 6, 2020, when violent Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to
disrupt the peaceful and orderly transfer of power to President-Elect Joe Biden. At last count, more than 50 police
officers were injured in the insurgence, one officer—a veteran—was killed.
Hours after the violent siege, the Congressman would give one of the most un-American speeches ever delivered
on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. He disingenuously claimed that President Trump had only
called for peaceful protest and added a new conspiracy to the dangerous mix, namely that Antifa, not Trump
supporters, was responsible for the violence. The source of Gaetz’s new conspiracy theory was the Washington
Times, who took the post down when proven false. The Congressman has yet to retract his claim or apologize for
misleading the American people on the House floor. (See Section 5 of this complaint for additional details about
the Congressman’s role in amplifying election disinformation and inciting the January 6 insurrection.)
Holocaust denier. In January of 2018, Mr. Gaetz
invited Holocaust denier and white nationalist
Chuck Johnson to the State of the Union address.
Johnson developed WeSearchr, an alt-right
crowdfunding platform used by the neo-Nazi Daily
Stormer and other hate groups.43 44 In 2016, Johnson
gained notoriety for an appearance on the alt-right podcast Fash the Nation, where he claimed that racial inequity
existed because “blacks were dumber.” Views like these resulted in Twitter permanently banning Johnson.
Support for Johnson, as well as his own anti-Semitic comments, would earn the Congressman a public rebuke
from Florida Jewish Action.45
White nationalist staffer. In April of 2019, Representative Gaetz announced he had hired Darren Beattie, the
former White House speech writer fired after it was revealed he was a speaker at the 2016 H.L. Mencken Club
Conference, an annual gathering of high-profile white nationalists like Richard Spencer.46
Glorifying violence against Antifa. In June of 2020 after the FBI classified Antifa (short for Anti-fascist) a
domestic terror group, Gaetz tweeted “Now that we clearly see Antifa as terrorists, can we hunt them down like
we do those in the Middle East?"47 The tweet was flagged by Twitter for glorifying violence.
Laura Loomer endorsement. In August of 2020, Gaetz endorsed congressional candidate Laura Loomer, an
Islamaphobe and right-wing provocateur, banned from a staggering number of companies for hate speech,
including Twitter, Facebook, Uber, Lyft, Venmo, GoFundMe, PayPal. Among her most controversial comments
were describing Islam “a cancer on humanity” and calling for a ban on Muslims holding public office.48
43
Southern Poverty Law Center, “Hate Goes to Washington,” The Intelligence Report, February 20, 2019.
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2019/hate-goes-washington
44
Anti-Defamation League, “U.S. Representative Brings Holocaust Denier to Meeting on Capitol Hill,” October 18, 2017.
https://www.adl.org/blog/us-representative-brings-holocaust-denier-to-meeting-on-capitol-hill
45
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, press release, “New Ad Targeting Matt Gaetz,” October 20, 2020.
https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2020/10/20/bend-arc-releases-new-ad-targeting-matt-gaetz
46
Caroline Kelly, “Rep. Matt Gaetz hires former White House speechwriter who attended 2016 conference with white
nationalists,” CNN, April 19, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/19/politics/darren-beattie-matt-gaetz/index.html
47
Doha Madani, “Matt Gaetz tweet on hunting antifa hit with warning from Twitter for glorifying violence,” NBC News,
June 1, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/matt-gaetz-tweet-hunting-antifa-hit-warning-twitter-glorifying-
violence-n1221506
48
Chris Cillizza, “A self-described 'proud Islamophobe' banned from social media just won a GOP nomination,” CNN,
August 19, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/19/politics/laura-loomer-donald-trump-
florida/index.html#:~:text=Loomer%20is%20one%20of%20the%20most%20high-
profile%20figures,America.%20She%20has%20called%20herself%20a%20%22proud%20Islamophobe.%22
January 19, 2021HASC/Gaetz Complaint P a g e | 12
Endorsement of QAnon followers. Rep. Gaetz was among the first Republican to endorse newly-elected
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a QAnon follower and conspiracy blogger. Her blog on the “American
Truth Seekers” web site has promoted false information about Hilary Clinton running a pedophile ring out of a
pizza parlor and the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School being a “false flag.” In
addition, she has called for the execution House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.49
In November, Gaetz would call for the pardon of Michael Flynn, the disgraced general and QAnon devotee. The
President would grant the pardon the following day, which in turn, Gaetz dutifully cheered.50 Three weeks later
on Newsmax, the newly-pardoned Flynn called for President Trump to invoke martial law and order the military
to re-run the election in the states Trump lost.51
Proud Boys. In February of 2019, Gaetz intervened on behalf of Jacob Engels, a member of the violent extremist
group the Proud Boys. Engels was suspended from Twitter for spreading violent disinformation about Gaetz’s
colleague, Rep. Congress Ilhan Omar. Gaetz’s social media campaign defending Engels—#freeJacob—was
shared thousands of times, foreshadowing Gaetz’s attacks on social media companies who dared sanction
accounts spreading hate speech or inciting violence.52
In October of 2020, Florida’s 3-WEAR TV reported that Gaetz had hired the Proud Boys to provide security at a
political rally in Milton, Florida.53 Despite the FBI classifying the Proud Boys an “extremist group” and a
plethora of reports about the group’s violence, Gaetz disingenuously claimed to be unaware of the group’s violent
record.
Members of the Proud Boys, QAnon, militias and other extremist groups were among the violent insurgents who
stormed the U.S. Capitol to block the peaceful transfer of power. The siege resulted in the injury of more than 50
police officers and the death of five. Among the dead was a Capitol Police officer, an Air National Guard vet.
5. Undermining Faith in the Election and the Peaceful Transfer of Power
A member of the House Armed Services Committee, indeed any member of Congress, should understand that
transitions of power are vulnerable times for a nation. Naturally fraught with risk, transitions necessitate that
public officials project confidence and order to the world, and especially to our adversaries.
Amplifying Election Disinformation and Conspiracy Theories.
Instead of ensuring and protecting a peaceful and orderly transfer of power, Gaetz would play a prominent role
fomenting domestic unrest and undermining faith in our elections. For months, the Congressman has been sowing
doubt in our election system, amplifying the conspiracy theories that fueled the violent attempt to disrupt the
peaceful transfer of power on January 6, 2020. He would also convince 147 other Republicans members of
Congress to join him in objecting to the certification of election results from several states who voted against
Donald Trump.
Over the last several months, Rep. Gaetz has amplified most of the debunked election fraud conspiracies,
including dead voters, Sharpies spoiling ballots, Dominion voting machines changing votes, fraudulent mail
ballots and late night ballot “dumps.” We cannot find a single example of Gaetz retracting any of these false
49
Andrew Kaczynski, “GOP candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene spread conspiracies about Charlottesville and 'Pizzagate',”
CNN, August 25, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/25/politics/kfile-marjorie-greene-spread-conspiracies/index.html
50
Sarah Polus, “Gaetz: Trump 'should pardon everyone' including himself to quash liberal 'bloodlust',” The Hill, November
25, 2020. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/527513-gaetz-trump-should-pardon-everyone-including-
himself-to-quench
51
Solange Reyner, “Michael Flynn to Newsmax TV: Trump Has Options to Secure Integrity of 2020 Election,” Newsmax,
December 2020. https://www.newsmax.com/politics/trump-election-flynn-martiallaw/2020/12/17/id/1002139/
52
Colin Wolf, “Matt Gaetz defends a Central Florida Proud Boy who was banned from Twitter for Islamophobic post.”
Orlando Weekly, Feb 26, 2019. https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/02/26/matt-gaetz-defends-a-central-
florida-proud-boy-who-was-banned-from-twitter-for-islamophobic-post
53
Rebekah Castor, “Proud Boys' provide security at pro-America rally in Milton,” 3-WEAR TV, October 23, 2020.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/proud-boys-provide-security-at-pro-america-rally-in-milton/ar-BB1al9m2
January 19, 2021HASC/Gaetz Complaint P a g e | 13
claims as they were debunked by state officials charged with investigating them. In most cases, the tweets are still
posted. (See pages 22-30 in the Appendix for screen shots of his various false claims.)
In fact, Gaetz would repeat these baseless claims over and over even after they were investigated and disproved.
His standard refrain is, “Of the people who showed up and voted, President Trump won this election in a
landslide.” He would add, “It is a travesty our institutions of government did not hold and ensure that we preserve
that victory,”54 referring to the DOJ and FBI who have declined
to press fraud charges and the courts that have dismissed more
than 64 lawsuits by Trump and his allies.
Hours before the violent mob would storm the Capitol to
interrupt the certification of the election of Joe Biden as the 46th
president, Gaetz would tweet, “States that steal elections should
be stripped of electors.” Make no mistake, the intervention that
Gaetz and his allies are advocating would disenfranchise
millions of Americans, mostly from areas with large
proportions of Black voters. Gaetz attempt to discredit mail
ballots is particularly troubling to our community, as more than
250,000 military personnel vote absentee.55
To the shock of his colleagues and much of the American
public, Gaetz would even repeat these lies on the floor of the
House of Representatives, just hours after the violent
insurrection. In his speech, Gaetz made wild allegations about a vast conspiracy to commit systemic election
fraud by multiple states, courts and law enforcement.56 To date, Gaetz has tweeted the speech more than 17 times.
Gaetz’s followers might not know any better, but as an attorney, Gaetz does. He understands that the states—not
the federal government—conduct elections and investigate election fraud. He understands that the courts—not
Congress—settle election disputes beyond the narrow scope of their charge. The Congressman’s bad faith calls
for election integrity and the debate of irregularities and allegations of fraud are cynically designed to deepen our
divisions and fan the ignorance and anger of Trump supporters. Gaetz’s attacks on the rule of law are the subject
of a recent disbarment complaint to the Florida Bar Association filed by ret. Navy JAG Pam Keith. Both
Veterans for Responsible Leadership and the Homefront Fidelity Project have signed on to the petition in support
of Keith’s complaint.57
Violent Rhetoric and Ties to Proponents of Martial Law, Insurrection Organizers
Since the Summer, Gaetz has been stoking fears about civil unrest and political violence. In one particularly
troubling speech from the House floor, Gaetz told the American public that “Democrats ignore heinous acts of
violence when the victims are Republicans.” He would later tweet an excerpt from the speech, “The left will
refuse to accept the election results unless they win. I pray America survives the Democrat’s mad and destructive
lust for power.”58 A month later, he would tweet “Cities aren’t boarding up right now out of fear that Trump
supporters are going to burn them to the ground. They’re bracing for political violence from the radical Left.”
54
Students For Trump, “Matt Gaetz: We must fight to bring back integrity to our elections,” January 8, 2021.
https://twitter.com/TrumpStudents/status/1347611529508757512?s=20
55
Karen Jowers, “There are still tens of thousands of military absentee ballots yet to be counted,” Military Times,
November 4, 2020. https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2020/11/04/there-are-still-tens-of-thousands-of-military-
absentee-ballots-yet-to-be-counted/
56
Rep. Matt Gaetz, “U.S. House of Rep. House Debate on Arizona Electoral College Vote Challenge, Part 3,” C-SPAN,
January 6, 2021. https://www.c-span.org/video/?507672-103/house-rejects-objection-arizona-electoral-votes-303-121
57
Petition in support of Pam Keith (ret. Navy) complaint to Florida Bar Association for the disbarment of Matt Gaetz.
https://www.petitions.net/petition_in_support_of_the_disbarment_of_matt_gaet?uv=31405088&utm_source=twitter
58
Rep. Matt Gaetz, floor speech, U.S. House of Representatives, C-SPAN, September 29, 2020, https://www.c-
span.org/video/?476260-1/house-session-part-1
January 19, 2021HASC/Gaetz Complaint P a g e | 14
In September, amid growing anxiety about civil
unrest, the Congressman would cast his most
disgraceful vote yet: NAY on the Peaceful Transfer
of Power Act. The Act’s stated purpose was to
reaffirm “the commitment of the House of
Representatives to the orderly and peaceful transfer
of power called for in the Constitution and express
the intention of the House that there be no
disruptions by the President or any person in power to overturn the will of the people,” precisely what happened
on January 6, 2020.
The Congressman would also decline to support senior and former military leaders who made multiple statements
clarifying that the military’s allegiance was to the U.S. Constitution, and that it would not get involved in election
disputes, as Gaetz’s close allies Roger Stone and ret. Lt. Gen Michael Flynn have been advocating. 59 60
As Trump’s defeat became apparent, Gaetz’s rhetoric would become more radical and extreme, shifting from
scaring the public about radical left violence to calling on Republicans to “stand and fight” Democrats who were
stealing their vote. The day before the election, Gaetz would tell his followers to “Fight with all you have to
protect and defend America. There is nowhere to run if we fail.” His “fight like hell” rhetoric would only escalate
in the days before the January 6 certification in Congress.
Although Gaetz never expressly endorsed
martial law or insurrection in a public
statement we are aware of, his rhetoric closely
echoed those who did, including convicted
felon Roger Stone61 and confessed felonious
liar Michael Flynn.62
Gaetz has close ties to both men and advocated for their respective commutations and pardons, which the
President granted.63 Gaetz’s endorsement of Flynn was particularly troubling, given that Flynn had just publicly
taken an “oath” to QAnon, an extremist group that would be involved in the violent attack on the Capitol.64
Equally troubling is Gaetz’s long-time association with Stone, who for years has been calling for a “Second Civil
War,” among other incendiary statements. Stone’s political action committee and related Facebook page, Stop the
Steal, was one of several groups organizing the January 6 attacks in Washington DC and several state capitols.65
59
Haley, Britzky, “Army leaders push back on Mike Flynn’s call for the military to ‘re-run’ the 2020 election
‘There is no role for the U.S. military in determining the outcome of an American election,’” Task & Purpose,
December18, 2020. https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-secretary-chief-2020-election-mike-flynn/
60
Opinion | 10 former defense secretaries: Involving military in election disputes would be dangerous, unlawful - The
Washington Post
61
Timothy Johnson, “Stone calls for Trump to seize total power if he loses the election,” Media Matters, September 11,
2020. https://www.mediamatters.org/roger-stone/roger-stone-calls-trump-seize-total-power-if-he-loses-election
62
Solange Reyner, “Michael Flynn to Newsmax TV: Trump Has Options to Secure Integrity of 2020 Election.”
63
Caroline Kelly, “GOP GOP lawmaker Matt Gaetz calls for Trump to pardon Roger Stone,” CNN Digital, February 20,
2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/20/politics/matt-gaetz-the-view-roger-stone-trump/index.html
64
Megan Sheets, “General Michael Flynn leads friends in reciting oath to Constitution and QAnon slogan,” Daily Mail
Online,” July 5,2020, updated October 9, 2020.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Megan+Sheets+For+Dailymail.com
65
Rob Kuznia, “Stop the Steal's massive disinformation campaign connected to Roger Stone,” CNN, November 14, 2020.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/13/business /stop-the-steal-disinformation-campaign-invs/index.html
January 19, 2021HASC/Gaetz Complaint P a g e | 15
Another close associate with ties to the January 6 attack on the Capitol is Charlie Kirk, the founder of
conservative student group Turning Point USA. Days before the attack, Kirk would tweet, and later delete, that
his organization had paid for more than 80 busses to Washington, for what he dubbed “one of the largest and
most consequential” events in our history.66
Two weeks before the January 6 siege of the Capitol, Gaetz delivered a fiery speech at the Turning Point USA
conference. Like most of those who fomented the January 6 insurrection, the Congressman’s speech about
overturning the 2020 election was packed with violent imagery and hatred directed at the media and
Congressional leaders:67
“…Our friends in the media will breathlessly exclaim that we are attacking democracy. That’s
nonsense. Democracy is left undefended if we accept the results of a stolen election without
fighting with every bit of vigor we can muster. …”
“…We are done running plays from the establishment’s losing playbook. … I don’t know about
you, but I’m not going back to yesterday’s Republican party. I’m not going back to losing
politely like Mitt Romney. I’m not going back to the Bushes or the Cheneys. This is Donald
Trump’s party and I’m a Donald Trump Republican. …”
“…Our politicians are too often weak husks of humans. They scurry around Capitol hill just
doing favors for lobbyists and special interests. Often times they only look busy because they
accept busy work from our milquetoast so-called leadership. We should not be renaming post
offices while America is burning and in need of true leadership. …”
“…Our America First movement is only dangerous to those who would sell out our country to
foreign interests abroad or special interests here at home. …”
“…Just like the alligators out in the Everglades, the DC swamp creatures have spent seemingly
millennia adapting to their surroundings, and they can be very dangerous if not properly
handled. Now we know that the swamp isn’t truly drained until we’ve nailed the hides of the
alligators to the wall….” (emphasis added)
Gaetz closed the speech with a call to arms on January 6 that likened Trump supporters to the patriots who fought
in the Revolutionary War:
“…Signs suggest that we have challenging days ahead. But the
light of true patriotism can shine even in the darkest of
moments. Gen. George Washington wrote to the Constitutional
Congress in the darkest, coldest days of Valley Forge, “We are
out of food, so now we must think.” Then Washington got
together his rag tag band of patriots, they crossed the icy
Delaware River and slaughtered the German Hessians who
had no country. You see, America, she may need us now more
than ever and we better fight like hell for her with all we have.
For there is no place to run, there is no distant land to convert
to our purposes should we fail. Our day will come to fight and
cross the river like Washington had to. I hope you’re ready
and I hope you will cross that river with me. God bless you.
God bless our country. God bless the United States of America.
Let’s go get ‘em.” (emphasis added)
While responsible leaders have been seeking to dispel election myths and
turn down the temperature of the country, the Congressman has
continued to fan the flames in the weeks after the violent siege of the
Capitol. Even after reports that the violent mob intended to assassinate
66
Mikael Thalen, “Charlie Kirk deletes tweet saying he sent ‘80+ buses full of patriots’ to D.C.,” Daily Dot, January 10,
2020. https://www.dailydot.com/debug/charlie-kirk-delete-tweet-buses-capitol/
67
Turning Point USA, December 20, 2020. https://youtu.be/LvEKVcfXaAw
January 19, 2021You can also read
