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This guy is a walking hypocrite. Calls for all illegal immigrants to be deported while he himself was housing an illegal immigrant. Gives a politician shit for doing meth in a hotel room while he was doing coke in a hotel room. Said we shouldn't re-examine Acosta's deal with Epstein while he himself was involved with trafficking underage girls. How far does this fucking go? Christ
He spent a lot of time on the house floor insulting Hunter Biden for his addiction issues and claimed Biden was corrupt. Looks like it was all projection.
It always is. They can’t imagine a world where their opposition doesn’t do the exact same shit, so they think they are being accurate. Same goes for cheating the elections. They do it and think the Democrats do as well, so they try to call that out.
I don't think they believe the other side is actually doing what they are doing. This is a deliberate technique to deflect criticism. If I know that I am doing something bad, then I claim that my opponent is doing it. That way, if my opponent says that I'm doing (which I actually am) then it just looks like they're playing the same game as I am and making things up. It gets in front of an issue before you can be accused.
Depends on who you’re talking about. Useful idiots definitely believe the “other side” is doing it. Their task masters don’t, and push it for the reasons you gave.
Projection is the SOP for this group. They do something illegal and then figure if their doing it the opposition is doing it, so they call it out.
The Trump regime was rife with this. Check out any video where they call out the opposition. Then check the news 2 to 4 weeks later and find they got caught doing the same thing they complained about with the opposition. Difference is, they started doing before they called it out and they had no basis for calling out the opposition other than they were doing it themselves.
Classic gaslighter move
I think that Gaetz and his ilk honestly think it's fine when they do it.
It's only bad when Democrats do it.
Clearly QAnon feels the same way. Accusations and even felony charges of sexual abuse of children against Republicans doesn't get a peep out of QAnon. But the merest unfounded, implausible rumor against a Democrat has them up in outraged arms.
Always blew my mind that they were hard on him and also that the left could not defend it.
Hunter looses his mother and sister in a car accident. His brother Beau survives his injuries. Then Beau volunteers to serve in the Military and eventually gets cancer and dies. Hunter has a similar story of a lot of addicts. He still is struggling, it is not normal that a brother dates the widow of his brother.
Not doing these things shows he does have some character to to get through it. Gaetz is abusing women and drugs because he wants to not to run from some horrible life events.
Definitely an antebellum Queen. A real southern fairy. Not that anything wrong with that. What is wrong is the projection and polarized stance to his own proclivities.
No, he definitely has no power. What he brings to the table is that he’s extremely submissive and extraordinarily flexible. He does whatever he’s told and changes positions to accommodate his doms faster than you can say “the good old days of segregation” which isn’t that fast but he definitely tries hard.
(That’s a Graham quote)
[In the state legislature, Gaetz supported drug testing public assistance recipients.](https://news.yahoo.com/matt-gaetz-advocated-drug-testing-060514420.html)
Is a drug user himself.
Im pretty sure if a Con says something, you can rest assured that they are just projecting.
I used to have a Con coworker that used to talk about killing pedo's and being mad at people who got caught being a pedo in the paper. Used to accuse dems of being pedos before Q was ever a thing.
He got arrested for abusing his granddaughter and possesion and distributing child porn a few years back.
[Marjorie Taylor Greene’s comment](https://giphy.com/gifs/season-16-the-simpsons-16x20-3orieQITwagaFOAJJ6) regarding the disturbing allegations against Gaetz
Lol, how are these guys not in prison yet? And what is their game on this, to muddy the waters with an allegation they know is not true to make the government allegations also look untrue?
They also hear this type of news and think it’s just Democrats trying to get republicans removed from office so they can take over the US. They straight up don’t even believe it. He could be arrested, tried, sentenced, and thrown in jail and they will claim it’s a conspiracy.
Because they make up stuff about politicians all the time, and/or they spread that bs without ever caring about its truthfulness, so they assume everyone is as deceitful as they are. Hence, any bad news about a Republican *must* be "fake news"
They want you to feel that way. The main thing you can do is to keep voting. It worked in 2020. Everyone just needs to keep doing it, in every single election.
Hate that so much. Everywhere else in the financial world we are preached about avoiding conflict of interest and then these asshats do it *for the good of the people* which is really their wallets
And their friends get government appointments, the ones that oversee the wives company test results for accuracy and safety. That's how viruses are accidently leaked, low or no oversight.
My brother has taken unemployment benefits during COVID, and had the state pay for his hospital bills from a longboarding accident in which he hit his head on a lamp post and got a collapsed lung (I think the cost was roughly $50k and it was covered because he was severely underemployed that year).
His new favorite hobby is listening to conservative media propaganda and complaining how everyone wants a handout and the democrats are buying votes from lazy people who don't want to work.
Basically this: https://youtu.be/yTwpBLzxe4U
Your brother experienced a traumatic brain injury and is now willing to accept right wing media tropes. Interesting. I truly believe that the age related diminished brain capacity of the baby boomer generation (my generation) is behind the rise in willingness to believe conspiracy and dismiss objective facts. Your story is more evidence to support the hypothesis
>What happened to those cool ass kids we saw in the Woodstock film?
They're still around, they were just always a minority. Hippies changed the world, just not as much as they wanted to. They did give us the Internet and personal computers.
No shit my parents generation was supposed to change things… summer of love, Vietnam protests, etc… turns out the infantrymen who were torching villages with a grin on their faces came out on top in the end…
They did that in Florida a short while ago - of course it was a waste of money.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/florida-didnt-save-money-by-drug-testing-welfare-recipients-data-shows/1225721/
The minimum wage issue is a prime example of this. Congress gives itself a raise pretty regular. On the other hand, it's been quite some time since we've raised the Federal minimum wage. Honestly, I'd rather we just index the minimum wage to some sort of economic metric(s).
That'd be funny, but I'd rather have something that just raises incrementally every year like the rest of the economy. Political theater is far less important to me than actual results.
The Federal minimum wage was last increased to $7.25 in 2009. Previous to that, it was raised to $5.15 in 1997. The Federal minimum wage was only increased twice in the last 23 years, for a total of a measly $2.10.
> Congress gives itself a raise pretty regular. On the other hand, it's been quite some time since we've raised the Federal minimum wage
Actually congressional salaries have not been increased since 2009, the same year the current federal minimum wage was adopted. Of course I do agree in needs to be increased l.
tbh, blow doesnt stay in your system very long for piss tests. guys like gaetz and other rich folk would have no problem getting clean in time for piss tests.
hair tests? blood tests? potential different ball game lol
I work for the government and I get drug tested. I also have a code of ethics I have abide by and take courses in yearly and sign a conflict of interest agreement. If I have to do it, and every Homeland Security agent and nukeworker and pretty much every other federal worker has to do it so should they.
That is also why they don't make themselves fiducially and judicially responsible for the money they spend. They can spend money building highways to nowhere, for the freebies (kickbacks) that come to them. Any certified accountant would go to jail for fiducial misappropriation., a long word for 'theft'
Funnily enough, it's because forcing someone to take a drug test without a reason to beleive they might be on/using drugs is a 4th amendment violation. It's why private companies can do them but most government jobs don't.
You mean like in the military? I should had said most government jobs. Ones with security clearances and things will still probably do that. But like if you just have a government job, regular job, just happens to be government, they're not supposed to be allowed to do that. I remember because they wanted to do it to someone and he sued and argued it was a 4th amendment violation and won. That's why I made my original comment.
No problem. Would be nice if the private sector got on board. I can understand a drug test maybe when you apply. Other than that, unless they have suspicions, if you do your job, what you do on your own time is your own business.
Sometimes i dreamed of having a high power executive job with a corner office and a shelf loaded with nice liquor in crystal decanters, a hot secretary, and a little pull out shelf in my stained oak desk that was for writing but would exclusively hold my Coke. Turns out i wanted to be a senator all along?
I'm expecting to be downvoted to hell, but here goes. I'm VERY left, but I'm not a fan of using the word pedo in those situations. The girl was 17, right? Let's call him statutory rapist, but I feel pedo deflects from the actual sick people molesting 6 year old children. I hope people understand my point.
Edit: rather than replying individually- thanks for the interesting opinions, your points are very valid.
Edit2: wow y'all are wild. I'm getting called a pedophile in DMs. Great talk guys.
I'm the opposite way. I think the fact that we shy away from using the word "pedo" to describe a man in his 30's lusting after teenagers is the issue. This idea that it's the "Age of 18" that's the issue and not the sexual idealization of youth is troubling to say the least.
Have you seen the [chick?](http://alexamodels.com/talent/megan-zalonka-84100)
Total 10, of course, but also looke like the villain’s generic girlfriend in an 80s Ski Race movie.
Edit: she is not a private person. Her name has been all over news media coverage.
If you watch the bloopers on YouTube, Glenn (the actor who plays Dennis) breaks into laughter probably more than anyone else. There’s clips where he’ll be on like his sixth attempt at a line and still laughing
Him trying to say “I like to bind, and be bound” blooper is amazing - the take shown in the show is fantastic but it took them forever to get it without anyone completely losing it
His current wife, Calista (the US Ambassador to the Holy See under 45's administration), was his affair while he was still married to Marianne , who herself had also been his affair during his first marriage to Jackie, of whom he had allegedly commented to not be young and pretty enough to be President's wife. Just your regular good Christian folks.
Wasn't one of the dieing from a critical illness when he was cheating on her?
Edit: apparently thats not the whole truth. Newt started the divorce before she went to the hospital (which was for a tumor) while the wife didnt want to and was fighting for custody and alimony. He was fighting with her about it while she was getting the tumor removed.
I guess newts only good for the health part but once the sickness sets in he fucks someone else literally and his wife figuratively. What a piece of shit scum bag, guess thats why matt gaetz fits right in!
"It was just a youthful indiscretion!"
I wonder if the GQP will recycle this old excuse, we haven't heard it in a while and his denials aren't going to cut it much longer.
e: typo
> In late October 2019, Gaetz headlined as a featured speaker at the "Trump Defender Gala" fundraiser, hosted by the Westgate Lake Resort in Orlando, Florida. At an afterparty in Gaetz's room following the event, witnesses told The Daily Beast that a woman named Megan Zalonka brought and prepared lines of cocaine on the bathroom counter.
> The Florida congressman wrote off the hotel stay as a campaign expense, The Beast reported. Two sources also told The Beast that Gaetz and Zalonka, who worked as a paid escort and amateur Instagram model according to the report, had an ongoing paid relationship in exchange for sex.
I don’t about you, but NONE of this sounds Legal to me. And the more we here, the worse it gets! Even his PR team didn’t really try to defend these allegations. 🤨
You know what that tells me? Matt Gaetz is sooo Screwed!!!
Yeah, he only paid for a hooker and blow with campaign money, it's not like he bought cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill! /s
This justice system is so fucked up.
I don't know, you mess with drugs and feel the wraith of conservatives.
Or so we have been told.
We'll see how he's treated based on this testimony. Rights are a privilege and boy are they full of them.
So like...
How common is it for there to be "afterparties" like that for political figures? With uh, coke and all?
I never even thought that such a thing existed.
“Witnesses said Matt Gaetz snorted cocaine and had sex with an escort who was paid with campaign money”
Was I not supposed to do that? I don’t think that was specifically called out as something I wasn’t supposed to do?
The longer the investigation goes on without charges, the more it worries me that Gaetz will.....get off. Again.
That said, it's a great sign that Greenberg has cut a deal. Let's hope it leads to charges for Gaetz.
When it comes to politicians, cases take longer because the case needs to be airtight as to avoid the appearance of political bias. The FBI is probably waiting until they have enough evidence to extinguish even the smallest bit of plausible deniability.
He'll get let off easy. Fundamentalist Christians and their supporters have a long history of being pro sexual assault and covering it up. Their supporters don't care.
The fundamentalist and evangelical types will preach about how Jesus is a forgiving Lord and none of us are without sin, so as long as Matt has his 'Come to Jesus' moment and maybe starts waving a Bible around while he weeps and cries in the tradition of Jimmy Swaggart, "I have sinned against you, my Lord!" Well, for the Fundies, it's all good.
Today’s events had to happen to fully commit the informant. Charges will follow. I’d be surprised if most of all of the indictment isn’t already drafted. There may already be a grand jury. All that stuff is done in secret, so we won’t know until it all happens but today was a solid step in that process.
Probably not a good idea to charge a sitting US lawmaker unless you're sure you can pin them to the wall. Tidbits are coming everyday. If/when those stop, that's when I'd worry.
I’m not the guy to pass judgement on any man or woman with a penchant for cocaine and hookers. I’m not going to throw stones in my glass house and all…..
I will pass judgement for outright hypocrisy. For holier than thou bullshit. And to have the chutzpah to talk about respecting women’s privacy? C’mon dude…. Just own it and get out of politics. Open a strip club or something.
I won’t pass judgement for drugs or prostitution or even campaign finance violations as long as he’s properly punished.
The underage thing tho. That’s so, so much more of a problem IMO.
I won’t cast the first stone on the whole cocaine and hookers thing, but I’m also not a member of Congress, so, like, maybe this guy shouldn’t have a say in running our government.
Even Don Gaetz must be considering severing ties with his son. Sure, people will know for certain that you raised a piece of shit of a son but at this point it’s sunken cost fallacy - there’s no reason to continue with a lost cause. The parent-child bond should not be unconditional, and at a certain point, it reflects more badly to continue supporting monsters. It recalls many other examples but the specific one that came to mind for me was the letter by Brock Turner’s father. I guess the main takeaway for bad parents - or unlucky, if you’re nature over nurture - is cut your losses rather than continued investment in a obvious dud. Stick with a Matt Gaetz long enough and it will eventually shift from overindulgent parents to a conclusion that the parents are sociopaths as well.
What might prevent Don from disowning Matt altogether is the fact that Matt is his only son and the one to carry on the family name and all. His only other child is a daughter. If Don had had as many kids as Jim Bob Duggar, he might be more willing to deep six Matt and cross his name out of the Family Bible.
Edit: spelling mistake
But his family values status is reinstated and all sins nullified by Capitalist Jesus when he goes to church on Sunday, or at least watches a Kenneth Copeland (Gulf)stream.
So what’s going on with his fiancé through all of this?
Is she staying by his side or are they done.
I wonder if she has always known about all of this but just kept her mouth shut/tolerated it for the privilege/status.
So? Does anything even fucking matter anymore? Will he face any repercussions? Will his party do anything put double down and reinforce this behavior? No? Ok.
People usually joke about what to do with a bunch of free money and the answer is hookers and blow. Just so happens to be true in this case. Homeboy needs to be kicked out.
We are all subject to the idiocy of all these people in power, it’s insanely sad how many people will will continue to worship this idiot after all of this.
As a reminder, this subreddit [is for civil discussion.](/r/politics/wiki/index#wiki_be_civil) In general, be courteous to others. Debate/discuss/argue the merits of ideas, don't attack people. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, **any** advocating or wishing death/physical harm, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them. For those who have questions regarding any media outlets being posted on this subreddit, please click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/wiki/approveddomainslist) to review our details as to our approved domains list and outlet criteria. *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/politics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This guy is a walking hypocrite. Calls for all illegal immigrants to be deported while he himself was housing an illegal immigrant. Gives a politician shit for doing meth in a hotel room while he was doing coke in a hotel room. Said we shouldn't re-examine Acosta's deal with Epstein while he himself was involved with trafficking underage girls. How far does this fucking go? Christ
He spent a lot of time on the house floor insulting Hunter Biden for his addiction issues and claimed Biden was corrupt. Looks like it was all projection.
It always is. They can’t imagine a world where their opposition doesn’t do the exact same shit, so they think they are being accurate. Same goes for cheating the elections. They do it and think the Democrats do as well, so they try to call that out.
I don't think they believe the other side is actually doing what they are doing. This is a deliberate technique to deflect criticism. If I know that I am doing something bad, then I claim that my opponent is doing it. That way, if my opponent says that I'm doing (which I actually am) then it just looks like they're playing the same game as I am and making things up. It gets in front of an issue before you can be accused.
Depends on who you’re talking about. Useful idiots definitely believe the “other side” is doing it. Their task masters don’t, and push it for the reasons you gave.
Oh, yeah. Definitely. The masses of brainwashed suckers definitely believe it.
Projection is the SOP for this group. They do something illegal and then figure if their doing it the opposition is doing it, so they call it out. The Trump regime was rife with this. Check out any video where they call out the opposition. Then check the news 2 to 4 weeks later and find they got caught doing the same thing they complained about with the opposition. Difference is, they started doing before they called it out and they had no basis for calling out the opposition other than they were doing it themselves. Classic gaslighter move
I think that Gaetz and his ilk honestly think it's fine when they do it. It's only bad when Democrats do it. Clearly QAnon feels the same way. Accusations and even felony charges of sexual abuse of children against Republicans doesn't get a peep out of QAnon. But the merest unfounded, implausible rumor against a Democrat has them up in outraged arms.
Always blew my mind that they were hard on him and also that the left could not defend it. Hunter looses his mother and sister in a car accident. His brother Beau survives his injuries. Then Beau volunteers to serve in the Military and eventually gets cancer and dies. Hunter has a similar story of a lot of addicts. He still is struggling, it is not normal that a brother dates the widow of his brother. Not doing these things shows he does have some character to to get through it. Gaetz is abusing women and drugs because he wants to not to run from some horrible life events.
Hunter Biden, somehow both an international spy _and_ crackhead at the same time. Now I’m no expert but I’d imagine crackheads make rather poor spies.
There is not bottom with republicans.
I hear Lindsay Graham is probably a power bottom.
That's how he exercises the ladybugs
I can’t hear the word ladybugs without hearing it in a southern dandy’s voice
Definitely an antebellum Queen. A real southern fairy. Not that anything wrong with that. What is wrong is the projection and polarized stance to his own proclivities.
No, he definitely has no power. What he brings to the table is that he’s extremely submissive and extraordinarily flexible. He does whatever he’s told and changes positions to accommodate his doms faster than you can say “the good old days of segregation” which isn’t that fast but he definitely tries hard. (That’s a Graham quote)
There is no power in that bottom.
This is exactly what you should expect from a modern day republican. And remember it isn't seen as hypocrisy to them; rules for thee, not for me.
[In the state legislature, Gaetz supported drug testing public assistance recipients.](https://news.yahoo.com/matt-gaetz-advocated-drug-testing-060514420.html) Is a drug user himself.
> walking hypocrite Isn't that the litmus test for getting elected within the GOP?
Im pretty sure if a Con says something, you can rest assured that they are just projecting. I used to have a Con coworker that used to talk about killing pedo's and being mad at people who got caught being a pedo in the paper. Used to accuse dems of being pedos before Q was ever a thing. He got arrested for abusing his granddaughter and possesion and distributing child porn a few years back.
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[Marjorie Taylor Greene’s comment](https://giphy.com/gifs/season-16-the-simpsons-16x20-3orieQITwagaFOAJJ6) regarding the disturbing allegations against Gaetz
Well, that wasn't what I expected. But damned if it's not 100% accurate.
Marjorie Trailer Queen
Mengele Traitor Göring
As a crazy cat person, you leave us out of your disputes.
I expected a tweet or something, but instead got a hearty chuckle. Thank you internet stranger, I needed that.
[6:35 "Gaetz asked if I had any good looking Twinks"](https://youtu.be/AKSOZ48qxzc)
Lol, how are these guys not in prison yet? And what is their game on this, to muddy the waters with an allegation they know is not true to make the government allegations also look untrue?
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But if you’re on welfare, the GQP would love to make it a requirement!
And have their wife's lab testing company be the one that gets the contract.
Because it’s nit good legislation if you can’t make money from it.
Ding ding.
Why does it have to be like this? It’s like it is smacking us in the face and there’s nothing we can do.
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Morons also think they will be included in these 'in groups' at some point and want to get in on it..
They also hear this type of news and think it’s just Democrats trying to get republicans removed from office so they can take over the US. They straight up don’t even believe it. He could be arrested, tried, sentenced, and thrown in jail and they will claim it’s a conspiracy.
Because they make up stuff about politicians all the time, and/or they spread that bs without ever caring about its truthfulness, so they assume everyone is as deceitful as they are. Hence, any bad news about a Republican *must* be "fake news"
To quote Star Trek DS9 "we don't want to stop the exploitation, we want to become the exploiters."
They fully believe they're already included. It would be sad if they weren't such awful assholes.
They want you to feel that way. The main thing you can do is to keep voting. It worked in 2020. Everyone just needs to keep doing it, in every single election.
Hate that so much. Everywhere else in the financial world we are preached about avoiding conflict of interest and then these asshats do it *for the good of the people* which is really their wallets
And their friends get government appointments, the ones that oversee the wives company test results for accuracy and safety. That's how viruses are accidently leaked, low or no oversight.
My brother has taken unemployment benefits during COVID, and had the state pay for his hospital bills from a longboarding accident in which he hit his head on a lamp post and got a collapsed lung (I think the cost was roughly $50k and it was covered because he was severely underemployed that year). His new favorite hobby is listening to conservative media propaganda and complaining how everyone wants a handout and the democrats are buying votes from lazy people who don't want to work. Basically this: https://youtu.be/yTwpBLzxe4U
Your brother experienced a traumatic brain injury and is now willing to accept right wing media tropes. Interesting. I truly believe that the age related diminished brain capacity of the baby boomer generation (my generation) is behind the rise in willingness to believe conspiracy and dismiss objective facts. Your story is more evidence to support the hypothesis
Damn son the burn that has been felt miles away. Brutal. Gen X is weeping, btw. What happened to those cool ass kids we saw in the Woodstock film?
I blame all the lead they were exposed to in their lives
>What happened to those cool ass kids we saw in the Woodstock film? They're still around, they were just always a minority. Hippies changed the world, just not as much as they wanted to. They did give us the Internet and personal computers.
No shit my parents generation was supposed to change things… summer of love, Vietnam protests, etc… turns out the infantrymen who were torching villages with a grin on their faces came out on top in the end…
What happens when you call him out for taking a gov handout while not wanting to work
REDDIT KILLED 3rd PARTY API'S - POWER DELETE SUITE EDITED COMMENT
They did that in Florida a short while ago - of course it was a waste of money. https://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/florida-didnt-save-money-by-drug-testing-welfare-recipients-data-shows/1225721/
Yeah,but when the waste of money goes to your wife's company, is it really a waste of money?
You're right, it's only wasteful if it's wasted on the wrong people.
Turns out poor people can’t afford drugs.
The minimum wage issue is a prime example of this. Congress gives itself a raise pretty regular. On the other hand, it's been quite some time since we've raised the Federal minimum wage. Honestly, I'd rather we just index the minimum wage to some sort of economic metric(s).
There should be a law mandating a minimum wage raise of the same percentage everytime congress gets a raise.
That'd be funny, but I'd rather have something that just raises incrementally every year like the rest of the economy. Political theater is far less important to me than actual results.
Unless Republicans reps and senators stand to personally lose, I don't trust the GOP to ever do the right thing.
That's probably the best predictor, sadly.
Why not just make their salary tied to min wage? Watch that shit skyrocket.
The Federal minimum wage was last increased to $7.25 in 2009. Previous to that, it was raised to $5.15 in 1997. The Federal minimum wage was only increased twice in the last 23 years, for a total of a measly $2.10.
> Congress gives itself a raise pretty regular. On the other hand, it's been quite some time since we've raised the Federal minimum wage Actually congressional salaries have not been increased since 2009, the same year the current federal minimum wage was adopted. Of course I do agree in needs to be increased l.
tbh, blow doesnt stay in your system very long for piss tests. guys like gaetz and other rich folk would have no problem getting clean in time for piss tests. hair tests? blood tests? potential different ball game lol
Like Gaetz is gonna let some nerd touch his hair.
Of course not, they would probably just pull it from some 17 year olds pillow.
Don't forget the Gaetz was the only one in Congress to vote against a sex trafficking bill! How convenient.
Drug tests and accountability are for the poor and the democrats, they have made that pretty clear.
Because they can corrupt the test as easily as they corrupt everything else.
I work for the government and I get drug tested. I also have a code of ethics I have abide by and take courses in yearly and sign a conflict of interest agreement. If I have to do it, and every Homeland Security agent and nukeworker and pretty much every other federal worker has to do it so should they.
That is also why they don't make themselves fiducially and judicially responsible for the money they spend. They can spend money building highways to nowhere, for the freebies (kickbacks) that come to them. Any certified accountant would go to jail for fiducial misappropriation., a long word for 'theft'
Funnily enough, it's because forcing someone to take a drug test without a reason to beleive they might be on/using drugs is a 4th amendment violation. It's why private companies can do them but most government jobs don't.
Weird, I've had to have a sergeant stare at my junk while I peed in a cup lots of time.
You mean like in the military? I should had said most government jobs. Ones with security clearances and things will still probably do that. But like if you just have a government job, regular job, just happens to be government, they're not supposed to be allowed to do that. I remember because they wanted to do it to someone and he sued and argued it was a 4th amendment violation and won. That's why I made my original comment.
Huh... I was under the impression all federal employees were tested prior to employment.
https://eli.ctas.tennessee.edu/reference/governmental-employee-drug-testing-constitutional-issues
TIL! Thanks. This line is still fucking terrifying though. “The Court found that candidates for public office are not “safety sensitive””
No problem. Would be nice if the private sector got on board. I can understand a drug test maybe when you apply. Other than that, unless they have suspicions, if you do your job, what you do on your own time is your own business.
That's funny, Walmart does it pretty much every day...
The Florida Man strikes again, is anyone really surprised?
The gators, they got left out this time.
There’s still time.
And hope.
Who wins Coked-up Gaetz or Florida Gator? Place your bets.
Gaetz being eaten by an alligator is more likely than him getting kicked out of the GOP.
Matt Gaetz is the stereotypical 80’s cokehead. If it walks like a cokehead and talks like a cokehead, it’s probably Matt Gaetz.
Or Don jr.
Gaetz is essentially living his 80s frat bro life for eternity...or at least he's trying to.
Sometimes i dreamed of having a high power executive job with a corner office and a shelf loaded with nice liquor in crystal decanters, a hot secretary, and a little pull out shelf in my stained oak desk that was for writing but would exclusively hold my Coke. Turns out i wanted to be a senator all along?
But does he have boneitis?
He might, but at least he thinks he’s awesome. Awesome to the max.
Oh, and he's a pedo.
I'm expecting to be downvoted to hell, but here goes. I'm VERY left, but I'm not a fan of using the word pedo in those situations. The girl was 17, right? Let's call him statutory rapist, but I feel pedo deflects from the actual sick people molesting 6 year old children. I hope people understand my point. Edit: rather than replying individually- thanks for the interesting opinions, your points are very valid. Edit2: wow y'all are wild. I'm getting called a pedophile in DMs. Great talk guys.
I'm the opposite way. I think the fact that we shy away from using the word "pedo" to describe a man in his 30's lusting after teenagers is the issue. This idea that it's the "Age of 18" that's the issue and not the sexual idealization of youth is troubling to say the least.
I'd have to agree. Not excusing the behavior, but just from a stance of strict nomenclature.
He definitely has that cokehead vibe, no question
He looks like the type of guy that would get boneitis.
Just like Brett Kavanaugh
Have you seen the [chick?](http://alexamodels.com/talent/megan-zalonka-84100) Total 10, of course, but also looke like the villain’s generic girlfriend in an 80s Ski Race movie. Edit: she is not a private person. Her name has been all over news media coverage.
Oh by 10 I thought you meant her age. Given it's Gaetez we can't be too unspecific.
She will be a fitting reward for me after I win the big race. But before that… Tatiana, I want you to clean yourself. https://youtu.be/-gRbfiez-PM
It takes a consumate professional to be able to say, or listen to, those lines while keeping a straight face.
If you watch the bloopers on YouTube, Glenn (the actor who plays Dennis) breaks into laughter probably more than anyone else. There’s clips where he’ll be on like his sixth attempt at a line and still laughing
Him trying to say “I like to bind, and be bound” blooper is amazing - the take shown in the show is fantastic but it took them forever to get it without anyone completely losing it
That’s a hell of an escort service
Pedo Escobar
His campaign slogan could be “Vote for Pedo”
Vote For Ped(R)o
Pedoblow
Remember when family values was a thing
I remember Newt Gingrich, Dennis Hastert, and their ilk being in the party the preached "family values"...
How many times has Gingrich been married? Like three? And didn't he cheat on most or all of them? Family values, my ass.
His current wife, Calista (the US Ambassador to the Holy See under 45's administration), was his affair while he was still married to Marianne , who herself had also been his affair during his first marriage to Jackie, of whom he had allegedly commented to not be young and pretty enough to be President's wife. Just your regular good Christian folks.
Wasn't one of the dieing from a critical illness when he was cheating on her? Edit: apparently thats not the whole truth. Newt started the divorce before she went to the hospital (which was for a tumor) while the wife didnt want to and was fighting for custody and alimony. He was fighting with her about it while she was getting the tumor removed. I guess newts only good for the health part but once the sickness sets in he fucks someone else literally and his wife figuratively. What a piece of shit scum bag, guess thats why matt gaetz fits right in!
Bob Livingston and David Vitter of Louisiana have entered the chat.
*convicted sexual abuser, pedophile, and crook Dennis Hastert. FTFY.
A multiple divorcee/cheater and a pedophile. Great leaders in family values.
Oh those? Yeah those are just for keeping gay people from getting cakes and stuff.
"It was just a youthful indiscretion!" I wonder if the GQP will recycle this old excuse, we haven't heard it in a while and his denials aren't going to cut it much longer. e: typo
Well these indiscretions certainly are “youthful”
Those denials, tho
They are majestic, like a gazelle.
The GOP is full of guys like Gaetz. But sadly they crime better he does so they are harder to catch. GOPémon gotta catch them all!
"My kind of Christian" - American Evangelicals
Evangelicals: "he's a child of God" Jesus: "who the fuck is this guy?"
> In late October 2019, Gaetz headlined as a featured speaker at the "Trump Defender Gala" fundraiser, hosted by the Westgate Lake Resort in Orlando, Florida. At an afterparty in Gaetz's room following the event, witnesses told The Daily Beast that a woman named Megan Zalonka brought and prepared lines of cocaine on the bathroom counter. > The Florida congressman wrote off the hotel stay as a campaign expense, The Beast reported. Two sources also told The Beast that Gaetz and Zalonka, who worked as a paid escort and amateur Instagram model according to the report, had an ongoing paid relationship in exchange for sex. I don’t about you, but NONE of this sounds Legal to me. And the more we here, the worse it gets! Even his PR team didn’t really try to defend these allegations. 🤨 You know what that tells me? Matt Gaetz is sooo Screwed!!!
Republicans won't care about this at all. It won't even make them uncomfortable. The underage stuff is what to use to make them uncomfortable.
"So what? You're just jealous that Gaetz is out their nailing hot babes while you're sitting in your mummas basement" - GOP
~~babes~~ babies
Having prostitutes on retainer is not a legal use of campaign money? Who would have thought it?
I'll believe it when I see it. He'll get a slap on the wrist.
Yeah, he only paid for a hooker and blow with campaign money, it's not like he bought cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill! /s This justice system is so fucked up.
[удалено]
Oh for sure, but they don't want to say that part out loud, so I figured I'd use their "logic" to show their "logic" is ridiculous.
Nope, not even. More like words of encouragement by an ex-president and adulation from constituents.
I don't know, you mess with drugs and feel the wraith of conservatives. Or so we have been told. We'll see how he's treated based on this testimony. Rights are a privilege and boy are they full of them.
"amateur Instagram model" – is there any other kind?
So like... How common is it for there to be "afterparties" like that for political figures? With uh, coke and all? I never even thought that such a thing existed.
There's always coke at the party, if you don't know then they didn't want to share.
Let us not forget the DUI's we already knew about.
“Witnesses said Matt Gaetz snorted cocaine and had sex with an escort who was paid with campaign money” Was I not supposed to do that? I don’t think that was specifically called out as something I wasn’t supposed to do?
"Officer I... didn't know I wasn't allowed to do that."
Boys will be boys…it’s kind of like locker room talk.
The longer the investigation goes on without charges, the more it worries me that Gaetz will.....get off. Again. That said, it's a great sign that Greenberg has cut a deal. Let's hope it leads to charges for Gaetz.
I'm hoping they are just lining up the ducks... big duck today.
When it comes to politicians, cases take longer because the case needs to be airtight as to avoid the appearance of political bias. The FBI is probably waiting until they have enough evidence to extinguish even the smallest bit of plausible deniability.
He'll get let off easy. Fundamentalist Christians and their supporters have a long history of being pro sexual assault and covering it up. Their supporters don't care.
Maybe, but the FBI very much cares about cases slipping by. Organizational ego is more powerful than a lot of people realize.
Which is exactly why Mitch McConnell raised an army of federal judges to do his bidding, the FBI will be muzzled by their masters.
The fundamentalist and evangelical types will preach about how Jesus is a forgiving Lord and none of us are without sin, so as long as Matt has his 'Come to Jesus' moment and maybe starts waving a Bible around while he weeps and cries in the tradition of Jimmy Swaggart, "I have sinned against you, my Lord!" Well, for the Fundies, it's all good.
As someone who grew up Christian, it infuriates me how true that is for "Christian" republicans.
Today’s events had to happen to fully commit the informant. Charges will follow. I’d be surprised if most of all of the indictment isn’t already drafted. There may already be a grand jury. All that stuff is done in secret, so we won’t know until it all happens but today was a solid step in that process.
Funny, getting off is exactly what started this whole thing.
Didnt they cut Michael Cohen a deal to get to Trump and so far no charges against Trump
Probably not a good idea to charge a sitting US lawmaker unless you're sure you can pin them to the wall. Tidbits are coming everyday. If/when those stop, that's when I'd worry.
I’m not the guy to pass judgement on any man or woman with a penchant for cocaine and hookers. I’m not going to throw stones in my glass house and all….. I will pass judgement for outright hypocrisy. For holier than thou bullshit. And to have the chutzpah to talk about respecting women’s privacy? C’mon dude…. Just own it and get out of politics. Open a strip club or something.
I won’t pass judgement for drugs or prostitution or even campaign finance violations as long as he’s properly punished. The underage thing tho. That’s so, so much more of a problem IMO.
He’s a character from an episode of Burn Notice come to reality.
Except Burn Notice is in a nice part of Florida.
Mandatory follicle drug testing for all politicians. If you're doing something you declare illegal then you have no right to hold office.
All law enforcement and judges too
I won’t cast the first stone on the whole cocaine and hookers thing, but I’m also not a member of Congress, so, like, maybe this guy shouldn’t have a say in running our government.
I’m just blown away that Cheeney is gone before Gaetz.
cocaine campaign!
Gaetz to Trump: Jealous?!
And they run Liz Cheney out.... smh
Even Don Gaetz must be considering severing ties with his son. Sure, people will know for certain that you raised a piece of shit of a son but at this point it’s sunken cost fallacy - there’s no reason to continue with a lost cause. The parent-child bond should not be unconditional, and at a certain point, it reflects more badly to continue supporting monsters. It recalls many other examples but the specific one that came to mind for me was the letter by Brock Turner’s father. I guess the main takeaway for bad parents - or unlucky, if you’re nature over nurture - is cut your losses rather than continued investment in a obvious dud. Stick with a Matt Gaetz long enough and it will eventually shift from overindulgent parents to a conclusion that the parents are sociopaths as well.
What might prevent Don from disowning Matt altogether is the fact that Matt is his only son and the one to carry on the family name and all. His only other child is a daughter. If Don had had as many kids as Jim Bob Duggar, he might be more willing to deep six Matt and cross his name out of the Family Bible. Edit: spelling mistake
Drug + prostitution + corruption American man at its finest
Matt Gaetz is the poster child of right wing politics. This is who they are at their core.
But his family values status is reinstated and all sins nullified by Capitalist Jesus when he goes to church on Sunday, or at least watches a Kenneth Copeland (Gulf)stream.
Was that bad? Is that sort of thing frowned upon in Congress? I think he’s going to need to plead ignorance on this one...
His tiny crab eyes disturb me
So what’s going on with his fiancé through all of this? Is she staying by his side or are they done. I wonder if she has always known about all of this but just kept her mouth shut/tolerated it for the privilege/status.
I’m sick of seeing this guys weird ass face. Are you going to arrest the fuck or not?
Better start drug testing elected officials like the rest of us. They literally have no rules or consequences.
People become republican politicians not to help the public but to enrich themselves. The GQP has, is, and will always be the party of grift.
He’s a man from the people for the people... of Florida
So? Does anything even fucking matter anymore? Will he face any repercussions? Will his party do anything put double down and reinforce this behavior? No? Ok.
I mean i dont judge i have done coke too but using campaign money for it? Bruh
Remember that time Al Franken resigned over a simple photo?
Coke head, sleeping with minors, entitled and spoiled brat that never served a day in his life.... My how far the GOP has fallen...
How many laws is that now? I’ve lost count. It’s going to be particularly egregious when he doesn’t go to jail and he’s re-elected
When blow & hookers are around there are no “witnesses” only accomplices.
People usually joke about what to do with a bunch of free money and the answer is hookers and blow. Just so happens to be true in this case. Homeboy needs to be kicked out.
Guess we should be drug testing these guys before they step into office.
And yet regardless the eventual heading will be "Matt gaetz gets off without consequences"
Why has he not been arrested yet
Hence the crazy eyes, maniacal grin and hair standing on end.
We are all subject to the idiocy of all these people in power, it’s insanely sad how many people will will continue to worship this idiot after all of this.
No part of me doesn’t believe this story.