Dill-Ag13 said:

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How do we know it's a lie?

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Quote:

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On March 30 of last year, The New York Times published an article that was treated as a bombshell by the political class. Citing exclusively anonymous sources "three people briefed on the matter" the Paper of Record announced that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) "is being investigated by the Justice Department over whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him."

The headline chosen by Times editors was as inflammatory and provocative as possible: "Matt Gaetz Is Said to Face Justice Dept. Inquiry Over Sex With an Underage Girl." The paper, high up in the article, emphasized what grave crimes these were: "The Justice Department regularly prosecutes such cases, and offenders often receive severe sentences." The article was extremely light on any actual evidence regarding Gaetz, instead devoting paragraph after paragraph to guilt-by-association tactics regarding "a political ally of his, a local official in Florida named Joel Greenberg, who was indicted last summer on an array of charges, including sex trafficking of a child and financially supporting people in exchange for sex, at least one of whom was an underage girl."

Only in the seventh paragraph well below the headline casting him as a pedophile and sex trafficker did the Times bother to note: "No charges have been brought against Mr. Gaetz, and the extent of his criminal exposure is unclear." Exactly one year after publication of that reputation-destroying article, this remains true: while the DOJ may one day formally accuse him, Gaetz has not been charged with, let alone convicted of, a single crime which The New York Times stapled onto his forehead.

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DonHenley said:

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Wasn't this proven false years ago?

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AgBQ-00 said:

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Funky Winkerbean said:

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If a Republican was investigated by the Biden administration and no charges were brought, I'm confident there is nothing there.

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Yep

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The whole story is also around a 17 year old when he was in his 20s

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aggie93 said:

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Dill-Ag13 said:

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How do we know it's a lie?

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You can't disprove a negative.

No charges were brought and the case was dropped. The FBI went all in on this as well and tried to pressure the hell out of people all around Gaetz to turn on him. They desperately wanted to shut him up. The whole story is also around a 17 year old when he was in his 20s I believe and is really overblown.

Lots I don't like about Gaetz but he does actually walk the walk and I believe he really cares about rooting out corruption. They have tried to threaten him and buy him off in different ways and he has always told them to pound sand. He's essentially a James O'Keefe type that's kind of obnoxious and an odd bird but also gives no f's and is pretty damn smart.

He's not my first choice but we could do a lot worse. I think it would be hilarious if they got DeSantis on board and told the Senators "Well, either you confirm him or DeSantis is appointing him to the Senate and you get to deal with him every day". He's probably be approved 100-0

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The Kraken said:

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The media isn't allowed to report accusations?

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TexAgs91 said:

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The Kraken said:

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The media isn't allowed to report accusations?

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Can you explain to us so we can understand how and why we shouldn't even think about the timing of this accusation? This is something I constantly struggle with because at least from my point of view it happens a lot, so please explain.

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What I'm struggling with is how ABC is portraying this as "exclusive, new information" news. What they are reporting is fact and they aren't offering any opinions. But to report it as brand new information when it's been known for years is troubling.

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General Jack D. Ripper said:

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I'll add in a separate post that so many of these politicians are straight up degenerates. It's on both sides and the American taxpayer should be fed up.

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93MarineHorn said:

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rgvag11 said:

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Accuser's lawyer:

Mr. Gaetz's likely nomination as Attorney General is a perverse development in a truly dark series of events. We would support the House Ethics Committee immediately releasing their report. She was a high school student and there were witnesses.

— John Clune (@CluneEsq) November 14, 2024

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Why am I feeling a creepy porn lawyer vibe here?

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stetson said:

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You know Democrats are evil because they personally destroy people.

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Rongagin71 said:

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But it will be released, or at least leaked.

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The real news is that Gaetz resigned prematurely, before any other cabinet nominee, and while the Republicans are clinging to the thinnest of majorities in the House, and the only logical explanation for the timing is that he wanted to avoid having the Ethics Committee report (which apparently includes a lot more than the "sex trafficking" claim) released.

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aggiehawg said:

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Quote:

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The real news is that Gaetz resigned prematurely, before any other cabinet nominee, and while the Republicans are clinging to the thinnest of majorities in the House, and the only logical explanation for the timing is that he wanted to avoid having the Ethics Committee report (which apparently includes a lot more than the "sex trafficking" claim) released.

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If that was the reason, it was dumb. He had zero control on whether that report was released or not. And now it has been.

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