Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., was in the room as Michael Cohen testified to the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after he sent out a threatening tweet about Cohen.
Before the hearing, Gaetz, who isn’t a member of the oversight panel, told reporters he was there to “ask questions,” but he didn’t clarify how he would do it. He left the room sometime later as the hearing stretched into the afternoon but returned shortly after and whispered to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is a member of the committee, and GOP staff.
Late Tuesday, Gaetz apologized for comments many regarded as threatening to Cohen.
“While it is important 2 create context around the testimony of liars like Michael Cohen, it was NOT my intent to threaten, as some believe I did. I’m deleting the tweet,” Gaetz wrote on Twitter.
Speaker, I want to get the truth too. While it is important 2 create context around the testimony of liars like Michael Cohen, it was NOT my intent to threaten, as some believe I did. I’m deleting the tweet & I should have chosen words that better showed my intent. I’m sorry. https://t.co/Rdbw3sTQJD
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 27, 2019
The Florida Republican and Trump ally came under fire for his tweet earlier Tuesday that asked Cohen, “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 told reporters in the Rayburn House Office Building hallway that it was “absolutely not” his intent for his tweet to be threatening.
Gaetz’s apology was in response to a statement from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., admonishing Gaetz for his comments and suggested they be examined by the House Ethics Committee.
Gaetz is also the subject of a probe into his tweets about Cohen by the Florida state bar.
