Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz survived a primary challenge Tuesday backed by his nemesis, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy spent $3 million on Aaron Dimmock’s campaign against Gaetz. Dimmock is a former Navy aviator and director of the Missouri Leadership Academy.
Last year, Gaetz led a group of eight Republicans to oust McCarthy from the speakership with the help of Democratic members, spawning a feud between the two.
McCarthy’s attacks on Gaetz stem from a House Ethics Committee investigation into alleged sexual misconduct and drug use. But the allegations aren’t new, and Gaetz had a loyal following in his district, making Tuesday’s result the likely outcome.
As of this summer, Gaetz is still under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The bipartisan committee, led by Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., issued a statement in June saying that it needs to further review allegations against Gaetz involving sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts.
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The committee also accused Gaetz of being uncooperative with its probe and said it had “difficulty in obtaining relevant information” from him.
Gaetz has denied all the allegations.
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