Congressman's Cohen tweet leads to Florida Bar probe
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
The Florida Bar has opened an ethics investigation of a Republican congressman over a tweet he posted about President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen before his testimony to Congress.
A spokesperson for the bar confirmed this week the investigation of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who is licensed to practice law in Florida, report the Miami Herald, the Daily Business Review, the Daily Beast and the Washington Post.
Gaetz’s tweet to Cohen, posted on Tuesday, read: “Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot …” The tweet has since been deleted.
Hundreds of critics alleged in nearly identical tweets that Gaetz’s tweet violated the federal witness intimidation statute and said readers should call the Florida Bar to file an official complaint.
Florida Bar spokeswoman Francine Walker said the Florida Bar is aware of Gaetz’s tweet, “and I can confirm we have opened an investigation,” according to the articles.
On Thursday, Gaetz tweeted that he had personally apologized to Cohen. “Regardless of disagreements, family members should be off-limits from attacks from representatives, senators & presidents, including myself. Let’s leave the Cohen family alone.”
Gaetz’s chief of staff, Jillian Lane Wyant, responded to news of the bar probe in a statement. “It seems that the Florida Bar, by its rules, is required to investigate even the most frivolous of complaints,” Wyant said.
A lawyer who previously was on the Florida Bar’s grievance committee, Larry Kellogg, told the Daily Business Review that Gaetz likely would be protected from discipline because he is a congressman commenting on a political controversy. It’s possible, he said, that Gaetz will get a letter advising him to tone it down.
Cohen testified on Wednesday that Trump was aware of WikiLeaks’ plans to release hacked Democratic emails. He called Trump a racist, a con man and a cheat.
Cohen pleaded guilty in November to lying to Congress about the timing of discussions to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. He pleaded guilty in August to campaign finance violations and bank and tax fraud.
