Sen. Lindsey Graham urged his fellow senators to let the hearing process play out when it comes to the nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general.
Mr. Gaetz was on Capitol Hill Wednesday with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance to meet with Republican senators.
Mr. Graham, South Carolina Republican, said the meeting he had with Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Vance was “very good.”
“I am committed to allowing the process to go forward in a manner consistent with past practices and fundamental fairness. This process will not be a rubber stamp, nor will it be driven by a lynch mob,” Mr. Graham, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. “My record is clear. I tend to defer to presidential Cabinet choices unless the evidence suggests disqualification.”
When he was a Florida congressman, Mr. Gaetz faced a House Ethics Committee investigation into whether he engaged in sexual misconduct, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges or engaged in illicit drug use. He previously was an object of a probe by the Department of Justice, which leveled no charges.
He resigned from Congress shortly after his attorney general nomination by President-elect Donald Trump. While many conservatives cheer the choice, some senators on both sides of the aisle want the House committee’s record released ahead of Senate confirmation hearings, even though precedent shows that reports on former members usually aren’t released.
The House Ethics Committee was set to meet Wednesday to discuss the mounting pressure to release the report.
Mr. Graham said an “angry mob” has surrounded the nomination process of Mr. Gaetz, and “unverified allegations are being treated as if they are true.”
“I have seen this movie before,” the senator said. “I would urge all of my Senate colleagues, particularly Republicans, not to join the lynch mob and give the process a chance to move forward. After years of being investigated by the Department of Justice, no charges were brought against Matt Gaetz. This is something we should all remember.”
He also suggested his colleagues “go back to a time-tested process, receive relevant information and give the nominee a chance to make their case as to why they should be confirmed.”
“This standard — which I have long adhered to — has served the Senate and country well,” he said.
Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican, also said the Gaetz-Vance meeting went well and questioned whether the attorney general nominee would face allegations and questions in a “forum that is reasonable.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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