Matt Gaetz Defends Embattled GHS Inspector Generarl After Report Detailing 'Substantial Misconduct'

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz has come out to defend Joseph Cuffari, the embattled Department of Homeland Security Inspector General, following a damning report that revealed "substantial misconduct."

The Republican lawmaker sent a letter to Cuffari making reference to a recent statement against his firing by FBI Director Christopher Wray, who said "it would not be a good idea" when testifying on the assassination attempt against Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"I agree with Director Wray: It would look like a cover-up on the part of President Biden and Vice President Harris," said Gaetz. "Given two assassination attempts on former President Trump, your continued oversight responsibilities related to the Southern border crisis, and now the numerous whistleblowers coming forward about FEMA mismanagement of the Hurricane Helene response, removing you might be politically convenient for those in power, but Americans would see it as a dirty trick."

He went on to say that "the Vice President would love to have the President remove you before the election, or in the lame duck period, politically the best time to effectuate such a coup," rejecting the 1,000-page report detailing the alleged misconduct.

The report, released by the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, details how Cuffari, a Trump appointee, allegedly misused taxpayer money to retaliate against employees in his office who questioned his qualifications.

Cuffari allegedly spent almost $1.4 million in taxpayer dollars to have a private law firm investigate three members of his staff, "most likely for his 'personal' interest and in order to retaliate against them."

The report added that he also misled Congress about his background during his confirmation process in 2019, with evidence "strongly suggesting" that he retired from his federal law enforcement officer job to avoid disciplinary measures against him. But when he was being confirmed as Inspector General for the DHS, he indicated that he had never left a job "by mutual agreement" following allegations of misconduct.

The House Oversight and Accountability and Homeland Security committees also said they did not investigate allegations that Cuffari diminished and delayed reports about sexual harassment at DHS, did not disclose to Congress in a timely and adequate manner that the Secret Service deleted text messages that could have been relevant to the January 6 investigation and deleted his own work-related text messages.

The report was also accompanied by a letter to President Biden in which the CIGIE's Integrity Committee urged for Cuffari's removal from his inspector general post.