Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) expressed disappointment and frustration following former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL) decision to withdraw as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Speaking on Real America’s Voice Thursday, Greene also called for transparency regarding a secret list of taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlements involving other lawmakers.
“I’m very disappointed,” Greene said about Gaetz’s withdrawal, which came shortly before CNN reported allegations that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl. “You know, here’s what frustrates me. Washington, D.C. is full of secrets.”
Greene argued that the selective release of information targeting Gaetz was unfair without addressing similar accusations involving other members of Congress. “If they’re going to roll out reports on Matt Gaetz, basically threatening him and forcing him out, then they need to release all the other secrets on everybody else,” she insisted.
Highlighting a long-standing controversy, Greene referenced a secret list of sexual harassment lawsuits settled with taxpayer money. “And this has been known about for years, and that list has never been publicized,” she said. “I think lists like that should come out if we’re going to be single, you know, picking out single reports on certain people.”
Despite the allegations against Gaetz, Greene stood by her former colleague and praised his career in Congress. “I know Matt Gaetz very well, and I’ve watched him fight for years and fought alongside him in Congress,” she said. “And I know that whatever Matt Gaetz goes on to do, he’s going to do a great job at it.”
Greene’s comments come amid a heated debate over transparency and accountability in Congress. Critics of the settlement system argue that using taxpayer funds to resolve sexual harassment cases shields lawmakers from public scrutiny, while others claim such disclosures could be weaponized for political purposes.
The controversy surrounding Gaetz and Greene’s demand for broader transparency underscores deep divisions within the GOP and Congress at large. As Greene and others call for the release of the settlement list, the issue is poised to become another flashpoint in the ongoing debate over ethics and accountability in Washington.