The House Ethics Committee determined that Rep. Matt Gaetz did not break any laws when he tweeted about Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal lawyer, during a congressional hearing in 2019.
The panel ruled that the Florida Republican’s tweets “did not violate witness tampering and obstruction of Congress laws.” The committee did, however, determine that Gaetz’s tweets “did not meet the standards by which Members of the House should govern themselves” and reprimanded him for breaking House rules.
Gaetz, a vocal Trump defender, caught the attention of the House Ethics Committee after he sent a tweet that seemed to threaten Cohen while he was testifying about the president before a House panel.
“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 …” Gaetz tweeted.
Gaetz later deleted and apologized for the tweet. He told the committee that he was “not comfortable with the language” he had used in the tweet and agreed that it was inappropriate.
Gaetz was similarly cleared of wrongdoing by the Florida Bar after lawyers filed a grievance against him over his tweet. The Florida Bar decided not to pursue any disciplinary actions against Gaetz after investigating his tweet.
