Matt Gaetz Accuses Kevin McCarthy of ‘Lying Like a Dead Dog’

The disagreement between Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has escalated, with Gaetz accusing McCarthy of “mendacity like a useless canine.”

McCarthy introduced this week that he was unilaterally opening an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, a transfer that many political observers noticed as a capitulation to the calls for of Gaetz and different hard-right Republican House members. McCarthy had beforehand indicated that he wouldn’t search an inquiry with out first requiring a full House vote.

Despite the impeachment inquiry announcement, Gaetz has repeatedly threatened to push for the removing of McCarthy from House management except a collection of conservative coverage calls for are met. At one level earlier this week, he floated the prospect of ousting McCarthy with the unlikely help of Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell.

McCarthy fired again in feedback to CNN reporter Manu Raju on Wednesday, claiming that Gaetz was secretly demanding that he take motion to finish a revived grievance lodged with the House Ethics Committee. The panel beforehand investigated Gaetz in 2021 over allegations of sexual misconduct, unlawful drug use and marketing campaign finance points.

“Matt is working with Eric Swalwell,” McCarthy told Raju. “But let me be very clear with you. Matt is upset about an ethics grievance. I do not care what they threaten towards me, I’m not going to interject into an unbiased committee like Ethics. And I’m not going to place Swalwell again on the Intel Committee. So, they will do no matter they need.”

Gaetz responded to McCarthy’s declare throughout an interview with MSNBC host Ari Melber hours later. The congressman asserted that he’s “essentially the most investigated man” in Congress earlier than denying that he had requested McCarthy about an ethics grievance.

“This is about time period limits, a balanced finances modification and single-subject spending payments,” mentioned Gaetz. “I’m essentially the most investigated man in the whole Congress. And proper there, you noticed Kevin McCarthy mendacity like a useless canine, as a result of I’ve by no means requested him to intervene in any ethics matter.”

Gaetz continued to accuse McCarthy of mendacity and issued one other risk to take away him from House management after Melber pressed the congressman on whether or not he had requested McCarthy for “some particular dealing with or remedy within the ethics grievance.”

“That is an abject lie from a tragic and pathetic man who lies to carry on to energy,” Gaetz responded. “He lied to get energy in January when he made this settlement, and he is mendacity now concerning the foundation for breach.”

“And what?” he continued. “Eventually, the mendacity has to come back to an finish and the votes are gonna begin on a movement to vacate.”

Newsweek reached out for remark to McCarthy’s workplace by way of electronic mail on Wednesday night time.

Gaetz was one of many final GOP holdouts to approve McCarthy’s speakership in early January. McCarthy took management of the chamber solely after agreeing to permit a single member of the House to provoke a movement to vacate.

In concept, Gaetz or every other Republican dissatisfied with McCarthy’s management may repeatedly power a vote to take away him from the job.

Gaetz threatened to just do that earlier on Tuesday, telling CNN that he would train his “leverage” over McCarthy by calling a movement “over and over till it really works” if his calls for will not be met.