Gaetz's nomination 'could cause him problems upon problems': ex-prosecutor

A former federal prosecutor said the most recent revelations coming out about former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) following his selection by President-election Donald Trump as attorney general is an indication of more complications to come.

The assessment by CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig came Friday after reports emerged that the House Ethics Committee heard testimony from a witness who claimed to have seen Gaetz engage in sexual misconduct with a minor. But whether or not the ethics committee’s investigative report ultimately becomes public, the claims against Gaetz “are open game," according to Honig.

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“As we're seeing now with this new reporting, people who are interviewed – witnesses, lawyers – they're free to come forward,” Honig told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. “And if Matt Gaetz’s nomination moves forward, I don't know about all of this, but a lot of this could well come out and it's going to cause him problems upon problems.”

Honig also pushed back on the phrasing used by Gaetz’s attorney when describing the Department of Justice’s investigation into the former Florida congressman, who, if confirmed, would lead the very agency that once launched a criminal probe against him.

“It is true, DOJ chose not to charge him, but the attorney used the word ‘cleared,’ he said Merrick Garland cleared Matt Gaetz – that is not true,” he said, adding: “The fact that DOJ chose not to charge him does not mean they cleared him. There's a difference there.”

Watch the clip below or at this link.