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After strongly defending even his most controversial nominees, and amid growing skepticism, pushback, and occasional mockery, even from Republican senators, President-elect Donald Trump issued a confusing statement Tuesday night, ordering Senate Republicans to not "fast track" any "nominations."

It appeared to be either a signal he might want to reconsider some nominees facing difficult confirmations by suggesting he has not made any nominations official and will do so only after he is sworn in next month, as some news outlets have suggested, or that—as some other news outlets suggested, he was referring to the last of President Biden's nominees.

Special prosecutor Branden Bell filed the charges Monday in Neosho County District Court. The complaint accuses Thuston of lying during testimony in July, when Thuston appeared as a witness in an opioid drug case that Bell also prosecuted.

Outgoing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is not taking news that the House Ethics Committee will release what is expected to be a highly damaging report on him before Christmas lightly, and has posted a warning to his soon-to-be ex-colleagues on X on Wednesday afternoon.

After posting a long screed on X earlier professing his innocence while also admitting that he has given money to women he dated as well as others who just asked, he added, "I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court - which is why no such claim was ever made in court. My 30’s were an era of working very hard -- and playing hard too."

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta argued that President-elect Donald Trump would be putting democracy at risk if he pardons Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes for crimes committed on Jan. 6, 2021.

"The notion that Stewart Rhodes could be absolved is frightening and ought to be frightening to anyone who cares about democracy in this country," Mehta said Wednesday during the sentencing of one of Rhodes' former allies, according to Politico.

Moments after Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) went on a rant complaining about the release of what is reported to be a highly damaging House Ethics Committee report on ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), he butted heads with CNN host Jim Acosta about Donald Trump wanting to have ex-Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) investigated.

Speaking about a Truth Social post Trump wrote in the middle of the night, Acosta asked, "Obviously, you know that there was a House Republican report on January 6th. It recommends that there be a criminal investigation into Liz Cheney. Do you think there should be a criminal investigation into Liz Cheney, one of your former colleagues?"

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) called Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's (R-GA) bluff when she threatened to expose wrongdoing by other lawmakers.

Greene previously reacted to notion that the House Ethics Committee would potentially release a purportedly incriminating report on ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz, who had been Donald Trump's first nominee for attorney general, and expose its findings on his alleged sexual misconduct with minors and alleged use of illicit drugs.

CNN's Pamela Brown was taking no nonsense when she interviewed Rep. James Comer's (R-KY) Wednesday after the star witness in the Joe Biden impeachment probe pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators.

Alexander Smirnov, the Ukraine-born former FBI informant who dished up dirt on the president and his family, admitted to two counts of making false statements and creating a false and fictitious record for information provided to federal agents.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is coming under increased fire from members of his own party over the deal he cut with House Democrats to keep the government open.

Conservatives in the House lobbed even more criticism at the proposed continuing resolution, which would give lawmakers a cost-of-living pay raise for the first time since 2009 and would end rules forcing members of Congress to buy health coverage from health care exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act.

Congressman James Comer (R-KY) denied a central part of his investigation into President Joe Biden’s son on CNN Wednesday — but was played a previous TV recording of his own words that shot down his claims.

The head of the House’s oversight committee tried to claim a since-discredited witness in the probe into Hunter Biden’s dealings with a Ukrainian company had never been considered important.

Rep. James Comer (R-KY) downplayed using a witness who pleaded guilty to lying about a fake bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

While speaking to CNN on Wednesday, host Pamela Brown asked Comer about using Alexander Smirnov in his impeachment investigation. The former FBI informant recently admitted he falsely claimed the Bidens took millions in bribes from Ukraine energy company Burisma. Smirnov was expected to be sentenced in January.

President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Federal Trade Commission cast the lone no vote Tuesday against a newly finalized rule banning deceptive junk fees in live-event ticketing and short-term lodging.

The rule, according to an FTC release, "targets specific and widespread unfair and deceptive pricing practices in the sale of live-event tickets and short-term lodging, while preserving flexibility for businesses."

Appearing on CNN just moments after it was reported that the House Ethics Committee took a secret vote and agreed to release what is expecting a damaging report on ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) a former colleague fumed and claimed he would push for any and all reports the committee has to be released.

Speaking with host Jim Acosta, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) was asked about the report and immediately labeled the bi-partisan committee a "clown show."

"Do you support that?" host Acosta pressed his guest.

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"No, I don't," the Tennessee Republican replied. "I think Matt's out of Congress, and I'm going to push for the Ethics Committee to release all the findings they have on every congressmen, because if it's good for one, it's good for all of them."

"And, you know, congressional ethics to me, is kind of like a military intelligence –– it really just doesn't exist, you know," he continued before accusing, "This thing was leaked out by the Democrat chairman. They they're talking about bringing charges against her (sic) and this is it's a clown show. It's Congress 101, they're releasing it right now right before the big budget thing."

Pressed further, he replied, "This is just an investigation, it's not a court of law. It's in the past. It's you get one side of this thing and if they want to release it, release all of them. I think if it's good for the goose, it's good for the gander."

"Why are they hiding all the others? Why are they protecting powerful members, former powerful that are still powerful on this Capitol Hill?" he added. "And let's be honest to every one of these folks on the Republican side was was appointed by the former speaker [Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)], which Matt and I both deposed –– or disposed of."

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