Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, under investigation by the Justice Department in a sex trafficking case, said rumors that he'll resign from the House are false. Gaetz called it "very safe" to say he has no plans to quit, the Hill reports. His communications director, on the other hand, has resigned. In a statement Friday, Gaetz's office said the Florida congressman and Luke Ball "have agreed that it would be best to part ways," per Fox News. All references to Gaetz were removed from Ball's Twitter biography Thursday, per the New York Post. Gaetz is not finding much vocal Republican support, per Politico, even among other Florida politicians.
The state's two Republican senators, Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, have stayed silent on his troubles. A spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis said only: "This is an ongoing Department of Justice investigation. We have no comment." One GOP officeholder said Gaetz is being paid back for not being loyal to other Republicans, at times abandoning allies and endorsements. Roger Stone did defend Gaetz on Parler, saying the accusations are a "smear." A state legislator who accused Gaetz last year of starting a game that gave points for having sex with an aide, lobbyist, or lawmaker, called the investigation sad. "I hope the allegations are false," said state Rep. Chris Latvala. "Because if they are true, it means there is a 17-year-old who is a victim." (More Matt Gaetz stories.)
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