'Smear campaign!' MAGA lawmaker throws GOP colleagues under bus in CNN clash over Gaetz

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), a far-right lawmaker known for her confrontational style, clashed with CNN's Boris Sanchez on Tuesday, arguing that the House Ethics Committee should not release the report on allegations against former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) — and even attacking the integrity of Senate Republicans who want to see the report before voting on him for Donald Trump's attorney general.

"I want to get your response to this attorney for the two women who testified before the House Ethics Committee, saying that Gaetz paid them for sex over ten times during a two-year period, one of them alleging that Gaetz unknowingly had sex with an underage woman," said Sanchez.

Luna categorically stated she did not believe any of this, noting that the FBI declined to prosecute Gaetz directly for the scheme. "I really would appreciate it if networks would cover the fact that this was also tied to a $25 million extortion scheme against Matt Gaetz and his father, and to furthermore, you know, I find it interesting that these actual allegations come out at peculiar timing, while he's being nominated to be the attorney general," she said.

She then launched into an unprompted complaint about previous rumors swirling that she and Gaetz had been sexually involved, and called the entire ethics investigation a "smear campaign."

"Shouldn't the Senate, as it weighs this nomination, have access to the testimony of these women to see it for themselves, to gauge for themselves whether these accusations are credible?" Sanchez pushed back.

Luna disagreed. "If the DOJ and the FBI had issues and questions of credibility, then why would we then even allow that person to have a platform?" Then she reiterated that Gaetz was "extorted," accused Attorney General Merrick Garland of breaking the law — which she previously tried to force her caucus to arrest him for — said Gaetz will "weed out the corruption," and complained that "any Joe Schmoe" shouldn't be allowed to give testimony to the Senate.

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"This isn't just — Congresswoman, respectfully, this isn't just any Joe Schmoe," said Sanchez, struggling to get the conversation back on track. "This is testimony that was given to the House Ethics Committee. This is a report, a bipartisan report that's been compiled, that Republican senators are now asking for. Should it not be released?"

"This is the same testimony that was, again, dropped by the DOJ and the FBI because these people were not credible," she repeated. "And I will say that for the senators that are coming forward and stating that they need to read this testimony, let's look into these people's stock portfolios and how they're becoming multimillionaires off of $175,000 a year."

After several more minutes of her complaining about the allegations, Sanchez said, "I do want to go back to something you said, Congresswoman, because these are Republicans, the Republicans asking for this House Ethics Report to be released. It's people like Senator John Cornyn of Texas. He — it would be hard to describe him as anything but aligned with MAGA. Are you suggesting that there's something in his stock portfolio that's questionable?"

"I'm suggesting that John Cornyn, to my knowledge, made statements that were actually anti-MAGA about President Trump," said Luna. "And same with the new elected Senate leader. But I will say that [newly-elected Senate majority leader John] Thune has since changed his tune. And it seems like he's more aligned with MAGA and President Trump."

Under further pressure, she continued to insist it was "unethical" for Senate Republicans to demand the report, adding, "those people from the get-go have not wanted Matt Gaetz to be the attorney general pick. So in my mind yes, it's absolutely a smear campaign ... I believe that Matt Gaetz is innocent."

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