In an entertaining, if still frustrating, incident on ABC’s “The View,” program co-host Sunny Hostin had to read out a legal note in which she noted that her claims about former United States Congressman Matt Gaetz were unproven and that he has denied all of the claims brought against him.
As background, President-elect Donald Trump has announced that his Attorney General appointment is Matt Gaetz, the former firebrand congressman who was being investigated for supposed ethics violations until he dropped out of the House after Trump appointed him to the position.
Announcing Gaetz’s appointment in a post on Truth Social, President-Elect Trump said, “It is my Great Honor to announce that Congressman Matt Gaetz, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The Attorney General of the United States. Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice. Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System.”
He continued, “Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department. On the House Judiciary Committee, which performs oversight of DOJ, Matt played a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, and exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization. He is a Champion for the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Matt will root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution. We must have Honesty, Integrity, and Transparency at DOJ. Under Matt’s leadership, all Americans will be proud of the Department of Justice once again.”
Because Gaetz was investigated, though the report about his conduct was never released, and because he’s much harder to the right than the past GOP administration personalities, he has faced a bevy of attacks from the left. Those attackers included the co-hosts of “The View,” particularly Sunny Hostin, who went furiously on the attack against him when discussing the Trump appointments.
Then, after the co-hosts moved on from Gaetz, at least somewhat, Whoopi Goldberg abruptly stopped the discussion by loudly declaring, “Sunny, you have a legal note.” Hostin, reacting to the news, said, “I do have a legal note. Thank you, Whoopi.” She then looked into the camera and read off what the lawyers ordered.
Reading the note, Hostin said, “Matt Gaetz has long denied all allegations, calling the claims, quote, ‘invented,’ and saying in a statement to ABC News that ‘this false smear following a three-year criminal investigation should be viewed with great skepticism.’ The DOJ investigation was closed with no charges being brought.”
