The Lessons of Matt Gaetz s Withdrawal – WSJ

Donald Trump s pick for attorney general, former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew on Thursday, barely a week after being nominated. There are lessons here, ones the gung-ho Trump team could benefit from internalizing as it continues filling out key posts.

Gaetz defenders are already attempting to blame this flameout on smears, or on hard feelings over Mr. Gaetz s ouster of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, or on Republican spinelessness. Mr. Gaetz in his withdrawal statement insisted he was unfairly targeted. Whatever the Trump team says publicly, it would be unwise for it to fall for those excuses privately. Mr. Gaetz s liabilities were all his own, and it was those liabilities that burnt down his confirmation.

The biggest was obviously the recently concluded House Ethics Committee investigation into a long list of allegations against Mr. Gaetz, including (from a June committee statement) sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift. The claims weren t limited to the allegations of sexual trafficking previously investigated by the Justice Department.

via www.wsj.com

Kimberley Strassel.