Capitol Hills top Republicans showed strong backing for Pete Hegseth‚ Trumps choice for Pentagon leadership despite fresh info about a 7-year-old assault case coming up (the incident reportedly took place back in 2017)
The support for Hegseth came at the same time as another pick Matt Gaetz decided to pull-out from attorney general consideration; saying he didnt want to be a distraction for the administration. His decision came as pressure grew to make public an ethics report about his past actions
The House Ethics Committee has been looking into serious claims against Gaetz: a lawyer speaking for two women says they told investigators that the ex-Florida congressman paid them for intimate meetings several times — these events started around 2017 when he was serving in Congress
- Multiple women came forward with statements
- Ethics report details remain private
- Committee investigation still active
- Claims date back to congressional term
The timing of both situations created a complex scenario for the incoming administration — while one nominee gained ground the other stepped away from consideration