COATES: “What do you think?
DENT: “Well, look, I was chairman of of the Ethics Committee. And I can tell you, Matt Gaetz did not resign because this Ethics report was clean. These reports — this report is likely to suggest or recommend some type of a sanction, a reprimand, a censure, and, in the most extreme cases, an expulsion, which would be a moot point now since he resigned. But this will not be pretty. And also, if the committee uncovers potential criminal wrongdoing, they can refer the matter to the Justice Department.”
COATES: “Even though they already said they‘re not going to do anything about it there so far?”
DENT: “Well, I don’t know what the report says, but I was I was part of this. We referred people to the Justice Department. I actually had some convictions based on Ethics reports. Again, the Ethics Committee is not investigating crime. They‘re investigating violations of House rules. But I can assure you, he resigned because it‘s going to be a nasty report. One other thing to remember, most members who resigned from Congress due to scandal usually go quietly. They go away and, you know, they go about the business of reconstructing their lives. They don‘t — they don‘t get elevated to become the top law enforcement officer of the United States. And that‘s why people want to see this, because this is a — this is a big position he‘s being asked. And of course, I think Senator Cornyn is absolutely right, there are no secrets. I think much of this is going to come out. Somebody‘s going to probably move on the House floor to have this report released.”
HAQ: “I am surprised that my two Republican colleagues are the ones who don‘t agree with me, that — I think that this is actually Trump playing his strongest hand right now, rewarding a loyalist and testing Senator John Thune and his new leadership. And clearly, convictions about sexual assault no longer are objective to either the American public or to being in positions of power. And the Senate itself has not a great track record of violations of social norms.”