Don Gaetz, famed for lengthy speeches replete with historical references that were even parodied during the annual press corps skits, was no less blunt when he pushed for a crackdown on swamp-like behavior in Tallahassee. Gaetz takes credit for Trumps decision to ban oil drilling off the coast of Florida, an issue every other member of the states congressional delegation also championed. hitType: 'event', Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation. Matt Gaetz has been a vocal supporter of the tea partys agenda, crusading against the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion in a state with 2.6 million uninsured residents. there is no truth to the alleged extortion plot, Rep. Matt Gaetz responds to sex trafficking allegations. Don, who sits on the board of Florida nonprofit Triumph Gulf Coast, reported that the couples net worth was $29.6 million as of June 2020, according to a document he submitted to the states ethics commission. [13] He was re-elected without opposition in 2010. The other was Freeport Communications, owned by Odom, the former Gaetz client who had served six months in prison for campaign finance violations. The super-PAC spending supplemented the $900,000 that Gaetz raised for his campaign. I can only imagine what a proud moment that must be for a father., Photo: Tom Williams/Congressional Quarterly/Zuma. When a local man whod twice run unsuccessfully for sheriff inquired in the comments why a policy idea from an online poll wasnt included on Gaetzs survey about county priorities, Gaetz responded, It got even fewer votes than you did in your last two runs for public office., Scandalized by that exchange, an Okaloosa County commissioner wrote in his newsletter that he couldnt support Gaetz. Per the The Daily Beast: Rep. Matt Gaetz's future sister-in-law appears to have had more than enough of the Florida congressman, posting three TikTok videos in the last two days slamming him as . Hes got the veterans here pretty well duped, says Cris Dosev, a retired Marine pilot who ran against Gaetz in the 2016 and 2018 Republican congressional primaries. Its hard to say what kind of congressman Gaetz really is. His dad was Jerry Gaetz, a former mayor of Rugby, North Dakota, and a state legislator. Don had a net worth of $25 million . Jerry Gaetz served as the Mayor of Rugby, North Dakota and ran (unsuccessfully) for Lieutenant Governor of the state. }); That must be hard for him., The younger Gaetz, in that same text message, pointed out that in 2020 when Sansom ran for superintendent the same post his father held that he contributed substantially to the effort to defeat him and that lost by a very wide margin., The things Sansom has said about me are false. Gaetz learned early on how to use the military to advance his political career without actually having to enlist. . Matts father, Don Gaetz, has been a prominent figure in Panhandle politics since first winning election to the Okaloosa County school board in 1994. }); Once the public money started flowing, the nonprofit became a for-profit corporation, Vitas, that grew into the countrys largest hospice care provider. }); Gaetz raised nearly $480,000almost five times more than any of his rivals in the GOP primary and almost 50 times more than his Democratic challenger. But Dons path led elsewhere. But Gaetz said in an email that he did not have control of the real estate because the other officers/shareholders hold a majority interest to control all decisions by the company. The real estate sales werent the only unusual features of his congressional fundraising. That makes him wealthy enough, but his parents, Don and Victoria Gaetz, are among the nation's top 1% of ultra-high net worth individuals. He donated $200,000 of his own money to his congressional campaign. Theres no doubt about it.. For more articles read aloud: download the Audm iPhone app. His official Senate portrait features him holding the legislation he championed. pg.acq.push(function() { Before moving to Donald's current city of Santa Rosa Beach, FL, Donald lived in Niceville FL. Gaetz's net worth at that time was somewhere around more than $1million. He is completely insane. Matt Gaetz was born on 7 May 1982. Matt was listed as an executive at the company till 2019. (Joe Scarborough, who once represented Gaetzs district in Congress, donated to Don in 2005 and Matt in 2010 and was suspended from MSNBC in 2010 for giving to several Republican candidates, including the Gaetzes.) Gaetz declared victory, even though his side had effectively lost. The briefings were consistent with Barrs memo requiring notification to department leadership on probes of candidates. [21], VITAS Healthcare Department of Justice lawsuit, "GOP lawmaker Don Gaetz is rising fast as a state Senate leader", "How 'Papa Gaetz' tells you everything you need to know about Matt Gaetz", "Okaloosa County, General Election November 8, 1994", "Okaloosa first in sales tax for schools only", "High school torn apart by religious-rights battle", "(09/01/1998) 1st Republican Primary Election", "Gaetz faces challenger for first time in 12 years", "Big bucks flowing to state Senate primary in the Panhandle", "Overhaul proposed for educational standards", "November 6, 2012 General Election, State Senator District: 1", Florida man sentenced to 5 years in plot to extort Matt Gaetz's father, "Lawsuit accuses Senate President Don Gaetz's former company of Medicaid fraud", "Docket for United States v. VITAS Hospice Services, L.L.C., 4:13-cv-00449 - CourtListener.com", "Rep. Matt Gaetz wants you to know who he is, and his plan is working", "Erin Gaetz launches her own digital content firm", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Don_Gaetz&oldid=1150355084, This page was last edited on 17 April 2023, at 17:56. Levinson is a former FBI agent and CIA contractor who vanished in Iran in 2007. I am a young guy and I have a lot to learn yet about the way the world works, but even I know this: Leaders, the good ones at least, dont bully, they dont belittle and they dont demean those around them, the commissioner wrote, telling Gaetz, BE NICE!, Once Don Gaetz retired from the state legislature, he briefly wrote a regular column for the Pensacola News Journal, until he quit in protest on the grounds that the paper was too mean to his son. He narrowly won the Republican primary against competitors with far less funding. In total, he claims that his properties, including six coastal homes on Floridas panhandle, an apartment in New York City, lots in four states and his stake in a Pensacola office building, are worth $14.6 million based on realtor estimates, according to the disclosure. Public records and financial disclosure forms show that in the days following Millers retirement announcement, Matt Gaetz sold a house he owned for just under $100,000. Don Gaetz, a businessman turned political powerhouse in the Panhandle, served on the Okaloosa County school board before he was elected superintendent. Through spokesperson Andrea Clark, Goldberg declined to comment, citing office policy. Matt Gaetz was born on May 7, 1982 (age 38 years; as in 2020) in Hollywood, Florida, United States. I richly earned my opponents, giving, I hope, as good as I got. Gaetz also had half a million worth of personal effects, including antiques, imported rugs and furniture. In 2012, following the reconfiguration of the state's legislative districts, Gaetz was drawn into the 1st District, which included much of the territory that he had previously represented but dropped the extension into Pensacola for an inclusion of Holmes County, Jackson County, and Washington County. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' In March 25 emails between Neiman and Goldberg that Matt Gaetz shared with POLITICO, Don Gaetzs cooperation was discussed and confirmed. That makes him wealthy enough, but his parents, Don and Victoria Gaetz, are among the nations top 1% of ultra-high net worth individuals. In the late 1970s, Gaetz. He is crazy. "In 2004, Don Gaetz and his partners cashed in, selling the hospice company to the parent company of the plumbing behemoth Roto-Rooter for $400 million. As of 2018 Don Gaetz is 70 years years old. Donald Jay Gaetz ( / ets / GAYTS; born January 22, 1948) is a Republican politician who served as a member of the Florida State Senate from 2006 to 2016, representing parts of Northwest Florida. Where did he come up with all that money? Matt Gaetz with his dad, Florida Senate President Don Gaetz in March 2014, in the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. Since stepping down from office, Gaetz's net worth hasn't declined, but only shot up. Don Gaetz was born in Rugby, North Dakota on January 22, 1948. The Gaetzes say they are the target of an extortion plot seeking money to keep the DOJ investigation quiet. Vicky Gaetz is an animal rights supporter who for years backed a move to allow dog tracks in the state to keep certain kinds of gambling if they ended dog racing. Stephanie MencimerSeptember/October 2019 Issue. His total contribution was more than half his net worth and exceeded any of his opponents total fundraising. In 2014, he rear-ended one of his constituents while talking on his cellphone.). They eventually changed the company name to VITAS Healthcare. Mr. In 1983, Gaetz founded VITAS Healthcare Corporation with a group of investors, which he later sold for nearly half a billion dollars in 2004. . Don and Victoria famously own and reside in the home that was used in "The Truman Show" the marital home of Jim Carrey, as Truman Burbank, and Laura Linney, as Meryl Burbank. But I can assure you that he didnt get many contributions he could have because of the many lobbyists who didnt like me. Only this time, instead of winning an election, the father wound up wearing a wire as part of an FBI probe into an elaborate extortion scheme. Gaetzs office said in a statement that Gaetz had nothing to do with Jay Odom getting a medical marijuana license from the state health department. This is a great example of shady stuff that campaign finance law probably doesnt prohibit, says Daniel Weiner, senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice. Matt Gaetz denied any involvement with the teen. We don't know when he celebrates his birthday because we don't know the details of his birth. Matt Gaetz is an American lawyer and politician who has an estimated net worth o f $700 thousand. He was also appointed by the President of the Senate to serve on the Florida Commission on Ethics until 2024. Matt Gaetz reported assets of just $235,000 to $625,000 on his most recent Congressional disclosure form, which requires representatives to list most, but not all, of their holdings. Flattery in Trumpworld is a two-way street, and Gaetz, 37, has earned a reputation for becoming one of the partys highest-profile members by cheerleading for the president and emulating his public bullying and trolling. Don Gaetz was elected to the Okaloosa County School Board in 1994 and he was re-elected in 1998. It's us but for your ears. Donald Jay Gaetz (/ets/ GAYTS; born January 22, 1948) is a Republican politician who served as a member of the Florida State Senate from 2006 to 2016, representing parts of Northwest Florida. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { Maybe he keeps losing elections because he cant show up for work. Matt was born in Hollywood, Florida, on May 7, 1982, to Don Gaetz, a Republican politician and former Senate President, and Victoria Quertermous, and grew up near Fort Walton Beach. He then went to Troy State University for a Masters' in Public Administration. Sansom, who once worked in the Okaloosa County school system directly under Don Gaetz, would have his political career derailed just as he had risen to House speaker. That has only grown since. The district includes portions of Walton County and all of Escambia, Okaloosa, and Santa Rosa counties. Gaetz has not been charged with any crime. The first bill he ever introduced was a one-sentence measure disbanding the Environmental Protection Agency. ga('ads.send', { Make sure to follow me on @GETTRofficial I'll be posting more there and less here. Matt's father, Don Gaetz, has been a prominent figure in Panhandle politics since first winning election to the Okaloosa County school board in 1994. In February, on Twitter, he threatened the release of damaging information about former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen as payback for Cohens congressional testimony against the president. How Much Is Don Gaetz Worth? window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { } While his dad was in town, Gaetz took him to the Trump International Hotel for dinner. Gaetz, who went to college on a debate scholarship, would eventually move south to Florida and earn his fortune. pg.acq.push(function() { And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June. From most of his 10 years in the Florida Senate, Don Gaetz was the chambers richest member. Don Gaetz, who was just 16 at the time, watched in horror on television. Find out Don Gaetznet worth 2020, salary 2020 detail bellow. In 1982, Gaetz was a primary figure in passing the Federal Hospice Care Reimbursement Act. Tragically, Jerry died of a heart attack while appearing at the 1964 Republican National Convention. Stacey Plaskett Exposes Rep. Jim Jordan's Glaring Hypocrisy. $700 thousand. Gaetz was born in Rugby, North Dakota, the son of Olive (Knutson) and Jerry Gaetz, a former mayor of the city and a state legislator. In just six years, his net worth had dwindled from nearly $1 million to $388,000, according to his financial disclosures. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. While his name is frequently on lists for higher office, Axios reported this week that Gaetz has considered leaving Congress to take a job at conservative news outlet Newsmax. The FBI seized Rep. Matt Gaetz's cellphone in December 2020, marking the beginning of an investigation into whether the Florida Republican allegedly sex-trafficked a 17-year-old girl. If you ask the office of Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican from the Florida Panhandle, what the congressmans unquestioning defense of Donald Trump has brought his district, you will receive a list titled President Trump Wins for FL-01. Among the 17 items: President Trump says Rep. Gaetz is handsome, going placesfantastic in Fort Myers, Florida rally., President Trump holds rally in Pensacola, FL with Matt Gaetz., President Trump calls Rep. Gaetz an absolute warrior in live Fox News interview., President Trump endorses Gaetz in the Republican primary calling him one of the finest and most talented people in Congress.. The revelation that the Justice Department is investigatingpotential violations of sex trafficking laws involving Gaetz swiftly roiled national politics. The transactions fall into a gray area of campaign finance law. Don Gaetz clashed enough times with former Gov. Florida law prohibits contributions to state races from being transferred to federal campaigns. One was the Harness Oil and Gas company in Houston, whose president is the daughter of a longtime Gaetz family friend. Hes all the things you want in your government leaders, said state Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, who is also a former House speaker. Since 2017, Matt Gaetz serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district, Luckey gained media attention after Matt Gaetz proposed her on the December 30th night at former President Donald Trump's .