Matt Gaetz reported to be leaving the House

[a_unique_person]

I wonder if McCarthy is involved in all this. He has a score to settle.

 

[acbytesla]

They just need to file new charges today. Clock restarts.

I don't know if it works that way. It's not a stop watch with a reset button. But I can imagine a Florida prosecutor saying the State of Florida was unaware of the crimes before the Ethics Report was released.

 

[acbytesla]

Hasn't he been hired to be a conservative network talking head?

That is my understanding.

 

[acbytesla]

I wonder if McCarthy is involved in all this. He has a score to settle.

That's what started the feud. McCarthy refused to halt the ethics investigation. Gaetz retaliated by sinking McCarthy's speakership. And here we are.

 

[Stacyhs]

Apart from what the report says about Gaetz's actions, this is the least surprising bit:

The vote to put out the report – which was opposed by panel Chairman Michael Guest, a Mississippi Republican

MAGA politicians are the most morally and ethically corrupt POS.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

I agree, Trump is likely to turn down Gaetz if he asked. Still, you never know with Trump. He pardoned Bannon and Flynn. But he never pardoned Rudy G.

But if the Biden DOJ wouldn't prosecute Gaetz, there is little reason to think the Trump DOJ is going to. So no way does Trump issue a preemptive pardon given the possible Federal charges that are extremely unlikely. Why waste the political capital when Gaetz is unlikely to be charged?

Bannon and Flynn were still useful to T****y, Ghouliani isn't (in fact I go so far to say that it's gotten to the stage where even T****y can see Ghouliani is actively hurting him).

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

As well they should! I just meant that the DOJ is going to have to be 100% sure, beyond any reasonable doubt that they have a locked down case if they're going after someone in the House. More than if they're going after you or I (assuming you aren't actually in the House). They would err on the side of caution. The GOP is pretty impervious to any form of bad publicity it seems.

It really depends on daddy Gaetz (the greasy eminence of Florida politics), if he sees more mileage in throwing his son to the wolves it'll happen quicker than you think; if not, it'll never happen.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

FYI: State of Florida Statute of Limitations for the following possible Gaetz offenses. Keep in mind that the offenses took place between 2017 and 2019.

Statutory Rape: 3 years
Prostitution: 1 year
Drug possession 3 years
The clock starts on discovery. So charges must be filed within that amount of time from when the State discovered the commission of these crimes. It seems highly unlikely that clock hasn't been ticking for at least a few years. But maybe a Florida prosecutor could argue it starts today.
No way do they charge him for the drug charge. Too difficult to prove.

No, this was about putting a dagger into Gaetz's political career.

As I have said elsewhere, it's crazy that there's a statute of limitations for an offence as serious as rape.

 

[plague311]

I don't know if it works that way. It's not a stop watch with a reset button. But I can imagine a Florida prosecutor saying the State of Florida was unaware of the crimes before the Ethics Report was released.

Statute of Limitations in Florida appears to start the day after the crime has been committed. So I'm sure these charges would be long past their expiration date. ETA: I'm not sure what the federal charges would be if they, for some reason, decided to pursue them.

 

[acbytesla]

Statute of Limitations in Florida appears to start the day after the crime has been committed. So I'm sure these charges would be long past their expiration date. ETA: I'm not sure what the federal charges would be if they, for some reason, decided to pursue them.

The Google search I made said from the discovery of the offense.

 

[bruto]

Statute of limitations on statutory rape is convenient, isn't it? Wait a while, you can say "what child?" All I see is a grownup. Next!

 

[TragicMonkey]

I guess he can leave the house but he shouldn't come within a hundred feet of a school.

 

[plague311]

The Google search I made said from the discovery of the offense.

That's what I found:

 

[I Am The Scum]

Florida wouldn't prosecute him if he did it yesterday.

 

[plague311]

Florida wouldn't prosecute him if he did it yesterday.

...or if he were doing it currently. His father is more connected, politically, in that state than Matt.

 

[thaiboxerken]

Trump is claiming that the ethics committee report is unfair. Wow, his crazy is so unpredictable. I'm sure it is more about defending his own self, not about Matt, because Trump never makes mistakes.

 

[Darat]

This statute of limitations thing for crimes is weird to me. Either a crime was committed or not, why does it matter how long ago it was?

 

[Stacyhs]

This statute of limitations thing for crimes is weird to me. Either a crime was committed or not, why does it matter how long ago it was?

It exists because the passage of time can make it more difficult, or even impossible, for the accused to defend himself. Memories fade and witnesses may disappear, die, etc.

 

[plague311]

It exists because the passage of time can make it more difficult, or even impossible, for the accused to defend himself. Memories fade and witnesses may disappear, die, etc.

To me that would mean that the prosecutor should decide not to bring the case, if they didn't have a case. If the evidence is solid, the case can be made, and they can get a conviction then any crime should be chargeable.

 

[Darat]

It exists because the passage of time can make it more difficult, or even impossible, for the accused to defend himself. Memories fade and witnesses may disappear, die, etc.

In our common law system it isn’t up to the defendant to prove their innocence but for the prosecution to prove guilt.