Florida Representative Matt Gaetz announced on Tuesday his intention to introduce legislation in the House of Representatives aimed at defunding Special Counsel Jack Smith's grand jury investigation. This investigation centers around the January 6th Capitol riot and alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Gaetz made the announcement via Twitter, just hours after former President Donald Trump publicly revealed he had been notified he was a target of the investigation and anticipated an indictment.
Gaetz framed the investigation as an attack on democracy and election interference, urging Congress to take immediate action to halt it. In a video accompanying his post, Gaetz argued that Trump's status as a leading presidential contender is the reason behind this potential third indictment. He also criticized the Department of Justice's perceived lack of transparency regarding the individuals involved in the investigation, drawing parallels to concerns raised during the Mueller investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
This legislative move follows Trump's not-guilty plea to 37 federal charges last month, also stemming from a Special Counsel investigation led by Smith. These charges relate to the alleged improper handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and mark the first time a former president has faced federal criminal charges in U.S. history. Trump is also facing 34 felony charges in New York related to alleged falsification of business records.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (left) and Special Counsel Jack Smith (right).
