For once, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) probably doesn't want anyone paying attention to him.
Gaetz, a vocal conservative and supporter of President Trump, appears to have violated House ethics rules with spending since last April, a Politico investigation has found. That includes installing a TV studio in his father's home and hiring a speechwriter who'd been ousted from the Trump administration, Gaetz's office confirmed.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Gaetz's office also acknowledged taxpayer money is used to rent a TV camera the congressmember keeps in his father's home and uses for TV appearances. A private company built him a studio as well, and takes a fee every time he appears on the air, Gaetz's office told Politico. Gaetz's office said the congressmember isn't involved in the rental costs, which don't appear on his official spending records, per Politico.
Regarding Beattie's hiring, Gaetz's office said his "contractual arrangement was approved by the necessary House authorities." But "a second review by the Finance Office determined that the services could not be contracted for in exactly that fashion," so they are working to correct the "glorified clerical error," Gaetz's chief of staff said. Kathryn Krawczyk
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the timeline of Gaetz's spending.
-
Home Depots are the new epicenters of ICE raidsIn the Spotlight The chain has not provided many comments on the ongoing raids
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classroomsPros and cons The devices could be major distractions
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
