WASHINGTON — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has quietly appointed Rep. Matt Gaetz, who led the failed campaign to derail McCarthy’s run for president, to the select committee investigating so-called weaponization of the federal government.
Neither McCarthy nor Rep. Jim Jordan, who chairs both the Judiciary Committee and the Weapons Subcommittee, announced Gaetz’s appointment.
Instead, the speaker’s nominations to the special committee, including Gaetz, were read into the Congressional Record a week ago and only noted reporters on Tuesday.
Gaetz, a Florida Republican who had been under FBI investigation for child sex trafficking, was not part of the original list of names McCarthy presented to the panel two weeks ago.
According to the selection panel list on your websiteGaetz replaced Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, one of the GOP holdouts who helped broker a deal with McCarthy during last month’s fight over the speaker’s gavel.
A member of the Harmonization panel said Roy asked for the change because he will serve on three demanding committees: Judiciary, Budget and Rules, and he has a young family at home. Panel members were told the special committee will sometimes meet late on departure day and require more time in Washington.
“I admire Chip for recognizing his limits,” said the legislator.
The committee’s appointment is a big prize for Gaetz, one of McCarthy’s most vocal opponents during the historic battle of speakers.
For weeks, Gaetz had vowed to stop McCarthy from winning the gavel on the House floor, saying the California Republican was «taking over» the speaker’s office before securing the top job.
Gaetz opposed McCarthy on 13 ballots, sometimes voting for Jordan, Donald Trump and Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla. But on ballots 14 and 15, after it was clear McCarthy had the momentum, Gaetz changed his vote to «present,» paving the way for McCarthy to win the presidency.
Gaetz’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The weapons panel will hold its inaugural hearing on Thursday. Witnesses will include Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, as well as former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who left the Democratic Party to become an independent and appears frequently on Fox News.
Garrett Haake and kyle stewart contributed.