Watch: Matt Gaetz denies seeking a pardon from Trump during tense MSNBC grilling
Speaking to MSNBC on Monday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said that reporting about him seeking a pardon was false.
According to testimony under oath to the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack that Gaetz and others were meeting at the White House to coordinate on ways to stop the certification of the election. The Republicans who participated then asked for pardons involving that Dec. 21, 2020, meeting or other possible reasons. Gaetz said that nothing in that meeting was illegal or unconstitutional.
"Okay, then why after that meeting did you seek a pardon for yourself and others who attended that meeting?" asked host Ari Melber.
Gaetz claimed all of that was misreported.
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"What I've suggested is there were various groups of people President Trump was considering pardoning for a variety of reasons, and I was involved in a number of pardons, some like the Blackwater four. Some went a different direction like Joe Exotic. But in that particular discussion, there was nothing emerged were anyone sought a pardon," Gaetz said commenting that the DOJ has become "pretty weaponized."
"We'll do both, but just to be clear you're denying you sought a pardon for yourself?" Melber asked.
"Yes that's correct," said Gaetz.
Gaetz was caught on tape promising Roger Stone that he would secure him a pardon.
Melber showed a video of testimony under oath from Trump insiders who say otherwise.
"The question is, can you really say all of them are committing perjury, lying on you, A. And B, if a pardon was requested, why not tell us, what were you worried about, what was it you thought others might be indicted for?" asked Melber.
"Cassidy Hutchinson is a known liar," Gaetz charged. "There's testimony she's given that directly results in perjury, so I would certainly take exception with her testimony. I do not remember it the same way Eric Hirschmann does. I did have conversations with him about a group of people that could receive pardons, even including some of the people who may have committed a technical violation of law but weren't engaged in the violence Jan. 6th. I had a lot of conversations with [Johnny] McEntee about pardons for lawmakers. Whether or not lawmakers fell in those groups were discussed. But in terms of was I asking for something specifically for me? The answer is no."
See the video interview below or at the link here.
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