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| By Kimberly Leonard | |
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, exits a meeting with Vice President-elect JD Vance at the Capitol in Washington. | Angelina Katsanis/POLITICO | Good morning and welcome to Thursday. Attorney general pick MATT GAETZ got a slight reprieve on Wednesday after the House Ethics Committee deadlocked over releasing a report into alleged sexual misconduct. The Floridian flame-thrower resigned from his seat last week after President-elect DONALD TRUMP made the surprise announcement that he wanted Gaetz to be his attorney general. Soon after, allegations about what was in the report began to trickle out, potentially imperiling Gaetz’s chances at Senate confirmation. And the House Ethics Committee will meet about the report again on Dec. 5 to decide what to do next. Through it all, Trump has remained resolute that Gaetz should be his AG and Gaetz has denied the allegations. On Wednesday, while the Ethics Committee was meeting, Vice President-elect JD VANCE shepherded Gaetz to meetings with senators to argue that Gaetz should at least receive the opportunity to get a hearing, reported POLITICO’s Ursula Perano and Mia McCarthy. But those hearings, which would take place in the Senate Judiciary Committee, are likely to be brutal by delving into the details of Gaetz’s personal life, including questions about possible drug use and whether he had sex with a 17-year-old or ever paid for sex. Comparisons are already being drawn to the scrutiny Supreme Court Justice BRETT KAVANAUGH faced — with Sen. JOHN CRONYN (R-Texas) describing a potential Gaetz hearing as “Kavanaugh on steroids.” Gaetz ally Rep. ANNA PAULINA LUNA (R-Fla.) likewise drew the comparison to Kavanaugh, saying on Fox News that critics in Washington try to “smear and destroy people’s reputations.” The ethics report could come out in other ways, or at least be seen by people outside the Ethics Committee. It could get leaked to the press or shared directly with senators. It could also be read into the congressional record — though whoever did so would risk getting censured or expelled. Some Democrats want to force a vote on the House floor to release the report. Adding to the potential bad news for Gaetz is that nearly all Senate Judiciary Democrats asked the FBI for its file on the Gaetz investigation as to whether he engaged in child sex trafficking, scooped POLITICO’s Rachael Bade. (Their letter is here.) Gaetz has repeatedly denied the allegations and a Justice Department investigation into the matter ended without charges. Two witnesses to Gaetz’s alleged behavior have said through their attorney to NBC News that they don’t want to testify publicly, but that doesn't mean they won't be asked to speak with senators, even if in a private hearing. With Vance breaking a tie, Gaetz can afford to lose support from three Republican senators, assuming all Democrats oppose him. Still, there's a possible way Gaetz could be confirmed. Trump has indicated he wants to bypass the senators and appoint some members of his Cabinet during a recess. However, even some Republican senators and have balked at recess appointments and some legal experts argue the pathway likely needed to recess the Senate without the buy-in from senators would be unconstitutional. — Mia McCarthy contributed reporting. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com.
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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | COMMITTEES ASSIGNED — State Senate committee assignments went out Wednesday. Some highlights:
- State Sen. COLLEEN BURTON will chair the Health Policy Committee
- State Sen. KEITH TRUENOW will chair the Agriculture Committee
- State Sen. DON GAETZ will chair the Ethics and Elections Committee
- State Sen. COREY SIMON will chair the Pre-K-12 Education Committee
- State Sen. RANDY FINE will chair the Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee. (See Fine’s statement about the assignment, in which he says, “We will look top-to-bottom — from the Governor's Office to our University System.”)
- State Sen. CLAY YARBOROUGH will chair the Judiciary Committee
WHAT’S NOT ON THE AGENDA — “New Florida Senate leader wants no changes to pot and abortion,” reports POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. “Newly sworn-in Florida Senate President Ben Albritton will not push to loosen the state’s controls on abortion and marijuana, even after a majority of voters supported measures to do so.” Albritton said: “I've made it no secret that I was opposed to both, and worked very heavily to defeat both, in partnership with the governor and others. At the end of the day, what happened happened, and I'm happy with what happened.” — Also not on the agenda is open carry, which has angered gun rights groups, according to James Call of USA Today Network-Florida. The groups want “legislation that will repeal Florida’s prohibition on the open display of firearms in public and repeal ‘gun-free’ zones for college and university campuses.” STOP WOKE LAW OVER — “Florida paying $725K after losing anti-woke lawsuit,” reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury. “Florida this week agreed to pay $725,000 in legal fees after losing a lawsuit that challenged a signature ‘anti-woke’ law pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to restrict workplace trainings about race. “The payout could be the final chapter for this piece of Florida’s so-called ‘Stop WOKE’ law that expanded state anti-discrimination laws to target lessons over subjects like ‘white privilege,’ by creating new protections for workers.
“Florida was never able to enforce the controversial policy for businesses, since it was quickly sued and ultimately determined by two courts to violate free speech rights protected by the Constitution.”
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 Sugar cane fields are watered near the shore of Lake Okeechobee in 2007. | Marc Serota/AFP via Getty Images |
PLANNED RESERVOIR — “Sugar industry lawyer tells appeals court that feds are 'stealing' their water,” by POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. “Lawyers representing the sugar industry and federal government battled before a federal appeals court panel Wednesday over whether an Everglades restoration project is taking water reserved under federal law for farmers in the region. A panel of the 11th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta heard arguments in a Florida sugar industry challenge related to Lake Okeechobee water levels and a state stormwater treatment area now under construction. Paul D. Clement, a lawyer representing U.S. Sugar Corp., said the state's 6,500-acre stormwater treatment area violates a 2000 federal law that requires water be maintained for farms and cities during and after Everglades
restoration.” DEPOPULATING — “Citizens Insurance expects to end the year ‘well under’ 1 million policies,” reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ron Hurtibise. “Fewer policies means less exposure and lower chances that nearly all of the state’s insurance customers will face assessments if a series of major hurricanes strike the state.” RUNNING OUT — A $30 million state funding program that helps people harden their condos had to shut down after only six days of being in operation because it received 800 applications — which is about five times more applications than it could fund, reports Anne Geggis of The Palm Beach Post. SCHOOL RULES — “Florida school districts to offer training to parents on false threats to schools,” reports Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida. “Florida education leaders want parents to be reminded annually that they can face consequences if their children report false threats of violence. The State Board of Education on Wednesday approved a rule change that will require school districts to make training available to parents and guardians on the use of FortifyFL, an app where anonymous tips can be submitted about suspicious activities.” HASN’T STARTED — Florida’s Canadian drug import plan has gone nowhere despite getting approval from the Biden administration a year ago, reports Phil Galewitz of KFF Health News. Galewitz writes: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hailed the FDA's approval of his plan in January, calling it a victory over the drug industry, which opposes importation on the grounds that it would lead to a surge in counterfeit medications. A Florida health official familiar with the importation program told KFF Health News there was no planned date yet for the state to begin importing drugs. The official asked not to be identified because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the program.” IN MEMORIAM — State Sen. RANDY FINE (R-Palm Bay) held a funeral Tuesday for his mother, HARRIET SANDRA FINE. His eulogy is here.
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PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | ‘SIGNIFICANT WEAKNESSES IN THE CASE’ — “Prosecutors drop charges against former Miami city commissioner and lobbyist,” reports Tess Riski of the Miami Herald. “Prosecutors have dropped criminal charges against former Miami City Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla and lobbyist Bill Riley Jr., the Broward State Attorney’s Office said in a news release Wednesday, putting an end to a high-profile corruption case that was set for trial next month.” Why it happened: “After a substantial follow-up investigation and extensive depositions of witnesses, we have concluded that there is no reasonable likelihood of conviction,” Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor said in a statement. “When the arrests were made, I promised that our prosecutors would pursue justice in this matter and that is what we have done.”
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CAMPAIGN MODE | | GROWING FIELD — State Rep. JOEL RUDMAN (R-Pensacola), who’s also a doctor, is planning to run for FL-01, the seat vacated by Gaetz, he first told Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics. Also “revving up to run” is BERNADETTE PITTMAN, owner and CEO of Boots on the Ground Bikers for Trump. Rudman told Ogles: “The people here have had very good representation and they don’t want any knockoffs. They don’t want people without a backbone. They want someone who can stand strong and stand firm and take those arrows. The way I see it, I’m the heir apparent to that. I carry on the legacy that Matt has left for us.” — “Amendment 4 group fights $328,000 fine related to abortion petitions,” reports Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida.
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DATELINE D.C. | | | |
Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.) speaks with reporters. | Francis Chung/POLITICO |
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Rep. CARLOS GIMÉNEZ (R-Fla.) will announce today that he’ll be running for vice chair of the GOP Main Street Caucus. Rep. STEPHANIE BICE (R-Okla.) is not seeking the post again. TURNED DOWN — Speaker MIKE JOHNSON has blocked a proposal from Rep. ANNA PAULINA LUNA (R-Fla.) that would have allowed proxy voting for new moms. Luna raised the proposal as part of a new rules package being put together for the next Congress, and said she talked to the speaker about the possibility for months. Luna complained on X that the decision was “anti-family” and would make women representatives hesitant to have children. OPEN SENATE SEAT CHATTER — Republican National Committee Co-chair LARA TRUMP has more fans who could see her succeeding MARCO RUBIO in the Senate, including Sens. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-Ala.) and JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.), reports Torrence Banks of NOTUS. HELP NEEDED — FEMA Administrator DEANNE CRISWELL testified on Wednesday that the agency’s disaster fund has only $5 billion left, reported The Associated Press’ Rebecca Santana. The Biden administration has asked for $40 billion to replenish the disaster relief fund.
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| TRANSITION TIME | | — The Los Angeles Times’ NOAH BIERMAN is joining POLITICO as White House editor. He’s a Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post alum. The announcement.
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ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — Great white sharks are migrating to Florida for the season, reports USA Today Network-Florida. — Robotic dogs are helping to guard Mar-a-Lago, according to the Palm Beach Daily News. — JEFF BEZOS donated $5 million toward homelessness services in Miami-Dade, per Florida Politics. — Florida Secretary of State CORD BYRD said on X that he spoke with Arizona lawmakers this week about how the state can speed up its election count. Florida is among the states that begin processing ballots before polls close. BIRTHDAYS: Political consultant, Lincoln Project co-founder and author Rick Wilson … former state Rep. Rick Roth… former Rep. Tom Rooney. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
