| | | | | |  | | By Melanie Zanona | Presented by |  | | | with help from Nicholas Wu YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GAETZ WHAT YOU WANT -- The Matt Gaetz hits just keep coming and coming. We already knew the Florida Republican was in some serious hot water after it was revealed earlier this week that the DOJ is investigating Gaetz's alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and whether he violated sex trafficking laws. But the New York Times dropped another bombshell last night that the probe into Gaetz and a former Florida official is focused on their "involvement with multiple women who were recruited online for sex and received cash payments," while "one of the women who had sex with both men also agreed to have sex with an unidentified associate of theirs in Florida Republican politics." And, in some encounters, " Gaetz asked women to help find others who might be interested in having sex with him and his friends," write Katie Benner and Michael S. Schmidt. "Should anyone inquire about their relationships, one person said, Mr. Gaetz told the women to say that he had paid for hotel rooms and dinners as part of their dates." … More: "Some of the men and women took ecstasy, an illegal mood-alerting drug, before having sex, including Mr. Gaetz." ON TOP OF ALL THAT, CNN reports that Gaetz bragged about his sexual escapades to fellow lawmakers and showed nude pictures of women to his colleagues — including while he was on the House floor. There's no evidence the photos are connected to the DOJ probe, but the alleged episode sheds further light on his behavior toward women. That also dovetails with this unflattering portrait of Gaetz from The Daily Beast that chronicles his less-than-sterling reputation on Capitol Hill, where Gaetz made his preference for younger women and drug use known and where an empty box of condoms was once spotted in the trash bin outside his congressional office. Your Huddle host also got her hands on that same photo, which you can see for yourself here: | 
A trash bin is pictured outside of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) office. | Melanie Zanona/POLITICO | Gaetz has vehemently denied the allegations and says he's the victim of an elaborate extortion scheme. "Matt Gaetz has never paid for sex. Matt Gaetz refutes all the disgusting allegations completely," his team said in a statement to NYT. "Matt Gaetz has never ever been on any such websites whatsoever. Matt Gaetz cherishes the relationships in his past and looks forward to marrying the love of his life." What we're watching unfold is a potentially career-ending scandal for the 38-year-old MAGA star. So here's a question: Does Gaetz resign his seat in Congress now and try to stanch some of the bleeding? Even before this sex scandal broke publicly, Gaetz had already mused about calling it quits early. The pressure for him to step down is probably only going to build from here; some Dems had already been calling for Gaetz to be kicked off the Judiciary Committee before the latest NYT report. For now, congressional leaders are deferring to the ongoing DOJ probe. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said yesterday at her press conference that the allegations, if true, would be a "matter for the Ethics Committee." And Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) have both said Gaetz would lose his committee seats if he's indicted, which is required under House rules. But, but, but … also don't be surprised if Gaetz follows the Trump playbook on scandals, by refusing to bow to pressure and trying to stick it out. There is, afterall, some recent precedent for Republicans being indicted and then going on to win re-election. But those victories were short-lived: Former GOP Reps. Chris Collins and Duncan Hunter both ultimately resigned when their legal troubles finally caught up with them. Related reads: "Feds' investigation of Matt Gaetz includes whether campaign funds were used to pay for travel and expenses," by CNN's Evan Perez, David Shortell, Paula Reid and Pamela Brown: https://cnn.it/3sFmoRr | "Gaetz, on the ropes, finds few friends in GOP," via The Hill's Juliegrace Brufke and Mike Lillis: https://bit.ly/3meOj8f. HAPPY FRI-YAY! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill on this April 2, where your fill-in host is putting downtown D.C.'s Cheesecake Factory at the top of her post-vax restaurant wish list. Who's with me?! THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The report from Kyle and Matt Dixon about Gaetz's bizarre PR strategy was the big winner. | | | | A message from McDonald's: Protecting our restaurant crew and customers is our number one priority. McDonald's national COVID safety plan is fact-based, data-driven, and informed by epidemiologists and health authorities. As science evolves, we update our plan. We train and retrain to always stay on top of what's happening. That's Safety + Commitment.
Learn more at mcdonalds.com/safety | | | GRAIN OF SALT -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered support — but no promises — for including a repeal of the Trump-era limit on the state and local tax deduction (SALT) in the White House's infrastructure bill. This comes as a handful of moderate Democrats from blue states are vowing to oppose any package that doesn't include their top tax priority. "I'm a big supporter of their position," Pelosi said. "Hopefully we can get it into the bill." More from Bloomberg's Laura Davison and Billy House: https://bloom.bg/3cHtY8E. But on the other end of Pennsylvania Ave, President Joe Biden has no intention of including SALT relief in his infrastructure initiative, per Axios. Of course, Biden's proposal is just that: a proposal. Democratic congressional leaders will ultimately be responsible for drafting a bill that can pass their narrow majorities. But don't expect the White House to be leading the charge on SALT. The latest from Jonathan Swan and Hans Nichols: https://bit.ly/3uhqSOE. MEANWHILE … Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell gave the clearest signal yet that there won't be any GOP support for the infrastructure package, meaning Dems will once again have to go it alone. "That package that they're putting together now, as much as we would like to address infrastructure, is not going to get support from our side. Because I think the last thing the economy needs right now is a big, whopping tax increase," McConnell told reporters in Kentucky. There wasn't a single Republican vote for the last Covid relief package, which was overwhelmingly popular with the public. But Republicans feel like they'll have a stronger message against a multi-trillion bill that also includes tax hikes on corporations — a drum they're more than happy to beat heading into the 2022 midterms. Burgess with the story: https://politi.co/39yvKag. Related: "Inside Biden's new 'Jobs Cabinet:' An extensive effort to notch infrastructure win," by CNN's Phil Matingly and Maegen Vasquez: https://cnn.it/3uh495b. | | | | JOIN THE CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" Power dynamics are shifting in Washington, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on our latest newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | RUN, RONJOHN, RUN! -- It's not every day you see Democrats encouraging an incumbent Republican to run for reelection. But that is indeed the case in Wisconsin, where Dems are hoping that controversy-courting Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) seeks another term, which they believe will give them the best odds for picking up his Senate seat in 2022. Here's Tom Nelson, one of a handful of Democrats vying for his party's nomination, in his own words: "I would love to run against Ron Johnson. I want to make a statement that in Wisconsin, his behavior is unacceptable — and this is what we're going to do about it." But it's not just about flipping a GOP seat, report James Arkin and Burgess. Dems also want to prove that "Johnson's confrontational style is no longer a fit in his perennial swing state." So far, Johnson hasn't decided whether to run again, but McConnell is eager for him to make a decision soon. The smart story from my colleagues: https://politi.co/3fB3xDp. Related: "Tim Ryan posts $1.2 million fundraising quarter, doubling previous best as he considers Senate bid," from Seth A. Richardson of Cleveland.com: https://bit.ly/3fCjJ7w. MORE JAN. 6 FALLOUT -- CBS got its hands on a scathing report from the Capitol Police's inspector general that slams the department's poor planning ahead of the deadly Jan. 6 riots, citing multiple "deficiencies" and a failure to disseminate crucial intelligence about the potential for violence. Some lawmakers, who have reviewed the report, have been pushing to make the document public. Read more about it here from Michael Kaplan and Cassidy McDonald: https://cbsn.ws/39Em1yW. And speaking of Jan. 6 … House Republicans are asking the FBI, DOJ and Capitol Police for a briefing on their review of Democrats' claims that some GOP lawmakers led "suspicious" tours in the days leading up to the insurrection. The allegations have lingered for months without any substantiation. And a source tells Kyle that the Capitol Police have shared thousands of hours of pre-Jan. 6 surveillance footage, which Republicans believe would have shown whether the allegations are true or not. The deets: https://politi.co/3fvlgMy. Related: "Army probes missing rifle from National Guard unit deployed to the Capitol," by Natasha Bertrand, Andrew Desiderio and Lara Seligman: https://politi.co/3sXkhc1. | | | | A message from McDonald's:   | | | STAR SPANGLED BOEHNER -- POLITICO Magazine ran an exclusive excerpt from John Bohner's upcoming book, "On The House", and it's exactly as juicy and entertaining as you thought it would be. Some highlights: --On Fox News : "Years later, in August of 1996, when I was in San Diego for the Republican National Convention, I ended up having dinner with Ailes and a veteran broadcasting executive named Rupert Murdoch. At that dinner they told me all about this new TV network they were starting. I had no idea I was listening to the outline of something that would make my life a living hell down the line." --On the 2010 midterms : "In the 2010 midterm election, voters from all over the place gave President Obama what he himself called 'a shellacking.' And oh boy, was it ever. You could be a total moron and get elected just by having an R next to your name—and that year, by the way, we did pick up a fair number in that category." --On Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas): ""By 2013 the chaos caucus in the House had built up their own power base thanks to fawning right-wing media and outrage-driven fundraising cash. And now they had a new head lunatic leading the way, who wasn't even a House member. There is nothing more dangerous than a reckless asshole who thinks he is smarter than everyone else. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Senator Ted Cruz." For a fun Friday read, check out the full excerpt here: https://politi.co/2PldbiZ. BOYCOTT BATTLE -- "Rep. Ferguson fires back at Delta CEO," from Clay Neely of the Newnan Times-Herald: https://bit.ly/2OdQBrI … "Companies, facing new expectations, struggle with pressure to take stand on Georgia voting bill," by WaPo's Todd C. Frankel, Jena McGregor, Candace Buckner and Steven Zeitchik: https://wapo.st/39DhgFX. | | | | TUNE IN TO GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe and start listening today. | | | | | TRANSITIONS Aaron Fritschner, communications director for Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), has been promoted to deputy chief of staff. TODAY IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are out. AROUND THE HILL Quiet heading into Easter weekend. TRIVIA THURSDAY'S WINNER: Daniel Luongo was the first person to correctly guess that Harry Truman's middle initial, "S.", stands for nothing. Just an initial. TODAY'S QUESTION: From Daniel: What actress turned Congresswoman was the inspiration for the Wicked Queen in "Snow White" based on her role in the movie "She?" And what future president did she have an affair with? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answer to obeavers@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Olivia on Twitter: @Olivia_Beavers | | | | A message from McDonald's: Safety + Commitment: Protecting our restaurant crew and customers is our number one priority. Over the last year, we have developed a comprehensive, national COVID safety plan to help ensure that McDonald's remains a safe place to eat and to work.
Safety + Science: McDonald's COVID safety plan is fact-based, data-driven, and informed by epidemiologists and health authorities. Every time CDC guidelines are updated, as science evolves, we update our plan.
Safety + Training: Early on, we created a nationally recognized set of COVID safety standards. All 850,000 managers and crew were trained on its effective usage. We train and retrain on safety, to always stay on top of what's happening. And provide the protection that our customers, crew and communities expect from us.
Learn more at mcdonalds.com/safety | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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