Judiciary committee member Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) has dared Republicans to release the findings of an Ethics probe into accusations Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) had sex with a minor.
Padilla appeared on CNN Friday to demand more information about President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for attorney general — and to warn Republicans against trying to leapfrog the vetting process.
“Just what’s in the public domain is already disqualifying, I believe, for Matt Gaetz, but hey, this is Donald Trump’s choice, and so let’s go through the process,” Padilla said. “What are they afraid of by holding on to the report?”
Padilla said he had a right to view the Ethics probe into accusations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug use that was abruptly cut short when Gaetz retired from Congress, CNN reported. Gaetz has denied the accusations.
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Senate Majority Leader-elect John Thune (R-SD) has suggested he’d support Trump’s call to use recess appointments to push through nominees without previous vetting.
“All options are on the table, including recess appointments,” Thune said recently on Fox News. “We’ll find out quickly whether the Democrats want to play ball or not.”
“What ball is he talking about?” Padilla snapped on Friday. “Rubber-stamping everything Trump is asking for or playing ball in terms of living up to our obligations as senators?”
Padilla raised concerns about Trump transition team efforts to bypass Federal Bureau of Investigation background checks for Cabinet picks with private company investigations.
“We got to ask,” Padilla said, “What are they worried about, what are they afraid of, what do they have to hide?”
Padilla urged Republican senators to think carefully as they weighed whether to cede to Trump’s demands or use the power granted them by the U.S. Constitution to provide advice and consent to presidential appointments.
“This is a test of senate Republicans, not just Republicans in Congress, but the Senate specifically,” he said. “Will they stand up and live up to their obligations that they accepted when they took the oath of office, or are they simply going to bend over?”
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