The Republican efforts to distance himself from Gaetz also offer him a lifeline within the GOP conference, as he appears to be safe at the moment to face retaliation within the party unless formal charges are filed.
“At the moment it’s hard to speculate about rumors, but if something really formal happens to Justice, we will of course respond and act,” Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, told the House’s minority whip on Wednesday he was asked if he had confidence in Gaetz. .
For Republicans, the allegations surrounding Gaetz come as a major distraction as they try to push the Biden administration over the record number of minor minors at the border and the president’s plans for a massive infrastructure package. Since Gaetz has built up little benevolence with his colleagues, few are eager to defend him, even if he denies the allegations against him. CNN spoke to more than a dozen GOP lawmakers, who largely tried to avoid entering the allegations, noting that Gaetz had few friends in the conference who wanted to defend him.
“He is not a team player,” said a senior GOP member of the House, who requested anonymity to speak openly about a colleague. “He’s not someone who contributes to the caucus. Most of us do not really know him. If he did and is charged, what then? A new Republican will replace him in the district and probably a better member. of Congress. “
Gaetz returned to Washington on Tuesday when House re-entered the session after a two-week recess. When he left the Capitol and entered, he did not want to address the allegations Tuesday, but attacked CNN in response to his questions about the Justice Department investigation.
Gaetz declined to comment again Wednesday as he traveled between committee hearings.
Two GOP sources say Gaetz did not attend the weekly House Republican Conference on Wednesday morning – and there was no discussion of his conduct. This is the latest sign that Republicans are keeping their distance from Gaetz amid the swirling allegations.
During the House’s long vote series on Wednesday, Gaetz chatted quietly on the floor of the house with a handful of his GOP allies.
After getting to the polls when it started, Gaetz sat a bit alone until a co-defender of former President Donald Trump sat next to him: Jody Hice of Georgia. A few minutes later, TOP rep, Tim Burchett, sat down next to him. Burchett earlier greeted Gaetz with a fist.
A handful of other conservatives came to greet him, including Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania who joined Trump and Gaetz to reverse the election result. Perry also gave Gaetz a fistfight. Rep. Mike Kelly, another Republican from Pennsylvania who tried to throw away the election results, also greeted Gaetz.
Gaetz later moved down the queue and back and forth with Texas Rep. Pete Sessions worked. Rep. Claudia Tenney of New York was also seen talking to the two. Gaetz had an animated conversation with rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the leading Republican committee and another Trump ally.
IDP leaders silence over Gaetz
When the investigation was first revealed two weeks ago, House leader Kevin McCarthy said the allegations were serious and he planned to talk to Gaetz about the matter. The Republican in California on Tuesday night did not respond to questions from CNN as to whether he spoke to Gaetz, and it is unclear whether the conversation still took place.
Scalise told reporters on Wednesday he had not yet spoken to Gaetz, but also planned to do so.
“Look, I have not yet spoken to him to get his explanation about what is being alleged, serious things being alleged, of course we want to get the facts,” he said.
If Gaetz is charged, he will be removed from his committees. This is what happened when former GOP representatives Chris Collins from New York and Duncan Hunter from California were charged with insider training and campaign financing costs, respectively. Collins and Hunter each won re-election while charged before resigning after pleading guilty to the charges against them. Both were pardoned by Trump.
But most Republicans would rather just avoid the subject.
“Is he not from Florida? I’m from Colorado,” GOP Representative Lauren Boebert said in response to questions about Gaetz.
“I honestly have nothing to say about it,” Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, one of the ten Republicans in the House who voted to accuse Trump in January, told CNN.
“If that’s true, Congress will be the least concerned,” Gonzalez added, adding that the inquiry should play into the Department of Justice.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Republican in New Jersey, said of the investigation: “If it turns out that the allegations are true, by a court of law or whatever happens, then I do it, I think it’s unacceptable.”
“We do have to go through the investigation. Everyone always deserves their day in court, right?” Van Drew added.
Jordan, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, was one of the few Republicans who publicly defended Gaetz. He told CNN on Tuesday that he was still standing with the Florida congressman.
“Yep,” Jordan said when asked if he still believed Gaetz. “I have never asked people to resign; I have never asked people to be kicked off committees.”
Gaetz’s home state senators, Republicans Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, also did not comment on the allegations, saying they would wait to see what comes of the Justice Department’s investigation.
“I read about it, but I read what people report, I read what he is denied. How can anyone think of something I know nothing about?” Rubio said.
Two Republicans facing potentially difficult re-election campaigns, representatives David Valadao of California and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, have taken steps to distance themselves from Gaetz by returning his campaign contributions to them.
“I gave the money back,” Fitzpatrick told CNN when asked if Gaetz should resign. “I’m a career FBI agent. Let the process play out.”
This story was updated on Wednesday with additional developments.
CNN’s Daniella Diaz and Ryan Nobles contributed to this report.