Gaetz Pick Unnerves an Already Jittery Justice Dept. and F.B.I.

The New York Times ^ | Nov. 14, 2024, 2:17 p.m. ET | Glenn Thrush and Adam Goldman

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Senior law enforcement officials face a wave of uncertainty as Donald J. Trump moves to nominate a fierce partisan and a longtime ally to fill one of the most powerful cabinet posts.

Matt Gaetz, who savaged the Justice Department and the F.B.I. as Donald J. Trump’s off-leash political guard dog, faces an uphill fight to becoming attorney general. But his selection has already achieved one desired effect: intimidating an already-frazzled federal law enforcement work force.

During his campaign, Mr. Trump vowed to exact revenge against officials who prosecuted him. That threat is particularly acute for the F.B.I., which has been in his cross hairs since it opened an investigation into his campaign’s connection to Russia in 2016.

Mr. Gaetz, a former Florida Republican congressman who was the focus of a federal investigation into sex-trafficking allegations, has positioned himself as the right guy for that job, an avenger who will tear down and rebuild a Justice Department that twice indicted Mr. Trump, with the close cooperation of the bureau’s agents.

“People trusted the F.B.I. more when J. Edgar Hoover was running the place than when you are,” Mr. Gaetz told Christopher A. Wray, the bureau’s director, during a testy oversight hearing in 2023, invoking the name of its imperious and secretive founding director. “And the reason is because you don’t give straight answers.”

Whatever the outcome of his nomination, the fact that he was selected at all was intended to send an unmistakable message to the nonpolitical career officials who form the backbone of federal law enforcement: Get in line or get out — and maybe get a lawyer.

All of this has sent a wave of uncertainty throughout Justice Department and F.B.I. headquarters, perhaps unlike anything experienced by the federal law enforcement establishment since Mr. Trump fired James B. Comey,...

[frank ballenger]

Watch their Adam’s apples jumping up and down in panic and their eyelids rapidly blinking oddly——there may be code messages being sent out.🕵️🕵️👀👀

“Orange Man has us in sights. Trust no one. Destroy all evidence.”

[right way right]

All victims of swamp weaponized agencies.
Both parties being involved is at the root.

[vivenne]

At least it will be on CSPAN

[aMorePerfectUnion]

[Robert357]

You can just see the Deep State calling in favors, blackmailing Republicans, blackmailing the press, etc. to try to work up a frenzy so that the Attorney General nominee will not be confirmed by the Senate. You got to love recess appointments. The Deep State knows when they are going to be kicked out and they don’t like it.

[rfp1234]

Wait till they hear about General Flynn heading FBI...

[DiogenesLamp]

Gaetz Pick Unnerves an Already Jittery Justice Dept. and F.B.I.

I want those corrupt bastards screaming in terror and trying to flee the country.

Many of them need to go to prison for what they have done.

The worm turns.

[FLT-bird]

He’s outstanding. My pick would have been Mike Davis but Gaetz is an excellent choice also.

[FLT-bird]

The message needs to go out - especially to the RINOs up for re-election in 2026...and there are a bunch of them in the Senate....vote against any of Trump’s nominees and MAGA guarantees it will primary you. If that doesn’t work we may consider sitting out the general election to ensure your removal from office.

Vote as if your jobs depend on it. They do.

[MV=PY]

Are they talking about Trump’s “wingman?”

;)

[Mr. Rabbit]

They should be nervous. The need to ask themselves, “Have you ever had your s*** pushed in?” Their loving husbands, Bubba, and Booty Warrior await. Happy wig splittin’ and cheek bussin’, you traitors! Hahahaha!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

“If they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear.”

[Allegra]

I loved seeing Steve Bannon yesterday after Trump named Gaetz. He was positively gleeful. I picture Trump chuckling as he’s about to make that announcement, and thinking, “Watch this.”

[Colorado Doug]

Senior law enforcement officials face a wave of uncertainty

Oh there is nothing uncertain about this. They can read all about it in Section 18 of the United States Code. (That's where the criminal statutes are kept.)

[Colorado Doug]

Mr. Trump vowed to exact revenge against officials who prosecuted him.

THAT IS AN OUTRIGHT LIE! He said that he would prosecute violations of the law.

[Colorado Doug]

The process of rot of the FBI and all the intelligence agencies were spurred on by Bush’s stupid power grants for the “War on Terror”. All these extra powers need to be removed.

I agree. The Soviet sounding Department of Homeland Security needs to be rolled back or eliminated. There are other ways to handle T.S.A., etc.

[lurk]

I have a request for AG Gaetz: Please un-redact and release every document in the DOJ to the public eye.