Matt Gaetz Is the Latest Disgraced Politician to Join Cameo
Matt Gaetz won’t be serving as U.S. Attorney General during Donald Trump‘s second term as president, nor in the next Congress, but for just $500, you can get him to wish you a happy birthday on Cameo.
The personalized video site, where celebrities of varying stature sell custom greetings and messages, confirmed the authenticity of Gaetz’s account to Rolling Stone, and Gaetz has linked to his page on the platform via his account on X (formerly Twitter). “Matt Gaetz enrolled as a Cameo talent on November 22,” the company says. The Republican former congressman from Florida resigned from his seat when nominated for AG only to then withdraw his name from consideration as details of an investigation threatened to obstruct his confirmation.
Listed as a “political commentator” on Cameo, Gaetz is also offering pep talks, advice, and the opportunity for customers to ask him questions.
Gaetz is not the only disgraced politician to join the site: former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, after serving an eight years in prison for public corruption, started selling videos for $100 apiece in 2020. Former New York congressman George Santos opened an account on the site shortly after he was expelled from the House last December due to evidence of his outrageous lies and criminal fraud. His videos go for $250. Both men have favorable reviews as creators on the app. Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia as Trump assumed office in 2017 and was later pardoned by him, maintains a Cameo page that is currently inactive.
Beyond raking in easy cash with quick selfie videos, it’s not clear what Gaetz’s future holds. Some Trump allies want to see him in a cushy White House job — one that would not require Senate confirmation and lead to further disclosures regarding the allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old multiple times in 2017. (Gaetz’s resignation prevented the release of the House Ethics Committee’s full report from an investigation into that matter, which reportedly contained far more damning details.)
It’s doubtful that Gaetz is actually hard up for cash. His wife, Ginger Gaetz, is a manager at KPMG, a major accounting firm; her brother, Palmer Luckey, is the billionaire founder of Oculus VR. Gaetz’s father, Don Gaetz, has an estimated fortune of $35 million, having sold Vitas Healthcare, the hospice provider he cofounded, for more than $400 million in the 1970s; his holdings include $20 million worth of Florida real estate.
On Friday, Gaetz hinted that he was interested in exposing his former colleagues for using privileged information to play the financial markets. “Stock trading is such a huge part of congress,” he posted on X. “It shouldn’t be. I can’t wait to tell all these stories of corruption, treason and betrayal. Coming soon.”
Anyone willing to fork over $500 to ask Gaetz a question could theoretically put him on the spot about the allegations of sex parties, drug use, and other improprieties that apparently convinced some Republicans to oppose his nomination. Gaetz announced his withdrawal in a post on X explaining that he had come to the decision after meetings with senators.
Of course, the money is no guarantee that Gaetz would answer truthfully on those topics. You’re probably better off just hoping that Ethics Committee report finally sees the light of day. It’s certainly the more affordable option.
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