#GoodMorningDC. It’s Wednesday and a Republican Representative and close friend of President Trump, Matt Gaetz, 38, is fighting Twitter as it is revealed that he’s under federal investigation for sexual misconduct.
Good Morning DC! It’s Wednesday and a Republican Representative and close friend of President Trump, Matt Gaetz, 38, is fighting Twitter as it is revealed that he’s under federal investigation for sexual misconduct.
Late Tuesday afternoon, The New York Times reported that Gaetz is facing an investigation within the Department of Justice in regard to allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid her to travel with him. According to the Times, the investigation was opened in the last few months of Trump’s administration, and now the Florida Representative is being accused of violating federal sex trafficking laws.
During an interview with Axios, Gaetz said that he fears being criminally charged but denies the allegations. In the 13-minute phone interview, Gaetz also said, “I believe that there are people at the Department of Justice who are trying to criminalize my sexual conduct, you know when I was a single guy.”
In 2017, Gaetz became the only member of Congress to vote against a bi-lateral bill that provided the federal government more funds and access to combat human trafficking.
Gatez went on Fox’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight”, and as a result, Tucker said it was “’one of the weirdest interviews I’ve ever conducted.” Speaking to Tucker, Gaetz accused former DOJ employee David McGee of extortion.
Biden announced his first slate of judicial nominations with a list of 11 lawyers and judges. This first list will indicate Biden’s future direction when nominating judges. Biden’s new list includes nine women and the majority of people of color. If approved, Biden would appoint three Black women to powerful federal appeals courts, nearly doubling the number of Black women judges on circuit courts. He would also appoint Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, making him the first Muslim American to serve as a federal district court judge.
On the campaign trail, Biden promised to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court if the chance became available to him. This list of future nominations is a significant indicator that Biden plans to fulfill that promise and this is his first step. The nominations also help diversify the lower courts that also struggle with representation in race and gender.
On Tuesday night, G. Gordon Liddy, the advisor to Nixon who was convicted for his role in the Watergate scandal, passed away at the age of 90. His son Thomas P. Liddy confirmed that his father died in Virginia, but did not mention a cause of death.
Liddy was convicted in 1973 for being a part of the operative group known as “The White House Plumbers,” whose mission was to “identify anyone who had leaked information that made the Nixon Administration,” reported NPR News.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy, burglary, and illegally wiretapping the Democratic National Convention’s headquarters at Watergate. Before and during his 52-month prison sentence, Liddy never spoke or leaked more information about that night.
Earlier on Tuesday, New York state lawmakers approved legislation legalizing adult use of marijuana. The bill will first remove cannabis from the list of controlled substances, and then will make it so it can be regulated and taxed.
President Biden’s dog Major bit someone yet again while on a walk on Tuesday. This is his second biting scandal, and CNN reported that a National Park Service employee was the victim. Major had just returned from training in Delaware, and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden still maintains that “he’s a sweet dog” who is still acclimating to the busy environment and new faces of The White House.
What will First Lady do today? First Lady Jill Biden will travel today to Delano, California. In Delano, she will participate in a Day of Action at The Forty Acres with the Cesar Chavez Foundation, United Farm Workers, UFW Foundation, Kern County Latino COVID-19 Task Force, Kern County, and Kern Medical Center.
What will Biden do today? President will travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There, he is scheduled to deliver remarks on the economy.
At 11 AM EST, the White House COVID-19 Response Team will hold a press briefing.
Across the pond….
Yesterday, the United Kingdom saw its hottest March day since 1968. It soared to 75° F, and despite social distancing rules, beaches and parks across the country were packed.
After Angela Merkel halted their distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine for individuals under 60, France and Germany have been in discussion with Vladimir Putin of Russia to supply their vaccine to the EU. French President Emmanuel Macron and the German chancellor held a video call with Putin to discuss this so-called “co-operation,” The Daily Telegraph reported
For today’s dash of pop, we have some extremely exciting news: Ariana Grande confirmed that she is taking Nick Jonas’s spot as a judge on The Voice. While those endless hours watching strangers reaching for their dreams may get repetitive, Grande is here to add some sparkle to the reality-talent show.
And that’s a wrap for this Wednesday morning, March 31, 2021. Good Morning DC will be back tomorrow to bring you the latest and most relevant first.