Sep 28, 2021 - Politics

Matt Gaetz is preparing for a fight

Ben Montgomery

Matt Gaetz walks through a hallway on Capitol Hill with a binder in one hand. — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) leaves a closed door meeting at the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in June. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz hasn't been earning headlines like he did when news broke in March that he was a target in a federal investigation into sex crimes, but legal analysts say the team of New York City lawyers he hired indicates he's ready to fight.

The legal team includes Marc Mukasey, who has defended the Trump Organization in high-profile cases, and Isabelle Kirshner, a top Manhattan criminal defense attorney, per the Daily Beast.
Plus, Friends of Matt Gaetz retained New York-based trial lawyer Marc Fernich, whose clients include Jeffrey Epstein, Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and Keith Raniere from the NXIVM cult.

Why it matters: Legal experts say that the team — far from where the investigation is playing out in the Middle District of Florida — suggests Gaetz could be taking a "scorched-earth approach."

Typically, you hire local, someone who knows the players in the district.
"But these attorneys can go down there, burn down the building, and not have to worry about going back in the next day," former New York Attorney General Tristan Snell said.

Add Axios on Google

Matt Gaetz is preparing for a fight

More Tampa Bay stories