After it was announced on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen has been disbarred on the eve of his testimony to Congress, Republican lawmaker Matt Gaetz took to Twitter with a message that seemed to be a not-so-subtle intimidation tactic.
“Hey @MichaelCohen212 – Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot…” he wrote.
Over 50,000 responses to his tweet have already been posted, with many people warning that he is blatantly trying to intimidate Cohen right before the disgraced lawyer is due to testify that the president committed crimes while in office. Some even wrote that they had reported his tweet to various associations and organizations that could investigate the legality of his statement.
There has also been a formal response from Congress, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling upon the Ethics Committee to “vigilantly monitor” lawmakers’ social media statements “which may not be protected by the speech or debate clause,” The Hill reported.
“I encourage all Members to be mindful that comments made on social media or in the press can adversely affect the ability of the House Committees to obtain the truthful and complete information necessary to fulfill their duties,” Pelosi said in a statement.
Pelosi: Ethics panel should “vigilantly monitor” social media after GOP lawmaker tweets before Cohen testimony https://t.co/D1u4uFrIVP pic.twitter.com/kW6BPqpaZo
— The Hill (@thehill) February 27, 2019
Although Pelosi did not name anyone specifically in her statement, it seemed to be a firm reminder that representatives still have a code of ethics that they are required to uphold throughout their terms.
Gaetz’s tweet comes amid reports from Cohen that he has also been intimidated by Trump himself with regards to his upcoming testimony against the president and his campaign.
It’s also not the first time Pelosi has issued a warning about intimidating Cohen in particular.
Just last week Pelosi tweeted about Cohen’s upcoming testimony.
“Congress has an independent duty under the Constitution to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch, and any efforts to intimidate family members or pressure witnesses will not be tolerated.”
Gaetz has since responded to the overwhelming call for an investigation into him over the tweet, arguing that his words were not “witness tampering,” but rather “witness testing.” He explained that “when witnesses come before Congress, their truthfulness and veracity are in question and we have the opportunity to test them.”
Cohen is expected to explain exactly who reimbursed him for paying off Stormy Daniels and even claims to have receipts to prove his testimony, according to a previous report by The Inquisitr .
