House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is not yet calling for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to resign from Congress as he is facing a federal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
During an appearance on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” on Sunday, Pelosi was asked whether she would call for Gaetz to resign or wait for the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into the allegations against him.
“It’s up to the Republicans to take responsibility for that. We in the Congress, in the House we have Bill 23, which says that in the conduct of our duties we are not to bring dishonor on to the House of Representatives,” she responded.
She added, “I think there’s been a clear violation of that, but it’s up to the Ethics Committee to investigate that, and it’s up to the Republican leader Mr. McCarthy, to act upon that behavior. But we’re hopeful about other things in the Congress rather than that.”
Watch the video below:
Should Matt Gaetz resign from Congress amid federal probes of whether he violated sex trafficking laws?
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) April 11, 2021
“It’s up to the Republicans to take responsibility for that,” @SpeakerPelosi tells @margbrennan. She says she thinks “there’s been a clear violation” of honor. pic.twitter.com/3akuJ1ILIj
The New York Times reported on March 30 that the Florida Congressman is under federal investigation related to allegations that he had sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl and “paid for her to travel with him,” which would violate federal sex trafficking laws.
Gaetz has not been charged with any crimes.
He denied the allegations and defended himself in an op-ed in The Washington Examiner. He wrote, “Let me first remind everyone that I am a representative in Congress, not a monk, and certainly not a criminal.”
“I, as an adult man, have not slept with a 17-year-old,” he added as he vowed he would not resign.
While he has denied the allegations, the House Ethics Committee announced on Friday that it is aware of allegations he “may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift.”
The committee has launched a probe into the allegations.