Newly released campaign documents for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) show the scandal-plagued congressman has spent the last month in “full damage control mode,” reports the Daily Beast.

In particular, the documents show Gaetz has been spending heavily on direct mail and TV ad blitzes intended to contain the fallout of revelations that he’s being investigated by the FBI for potential involvement in sex trafficking.

The Florida Republican has been trying to shore up public support in his panhandle district by blanketing the airwaves with ads that urge constituents to “fight back” against “a multi-week fake news cycle” about the investigation into whether Gaetz paid for sex with multiple women, including one who was just 17 years old at the time.

The most curious Gaetz campaign expense, however, was a payment made to infamous right-wing operative and convicted felon Roger Stone.

“One expense in particular will raise eyebrows: A $5,000 ‘strategic political consulting’ fee to Drake Ventures, the company belonging to longtime GOP smear artist and Gaetz associate Roger Stone,” the publication writes. “On Friday, the DOJ sued Stone and his wife, Nydia, alleging that the couple owes millions in unpaid taxes and have used Drake Ventures to shelter more than $1 million.”

‘Mad King Foreign Policy’

President Donald Trump is literally conducting foreign policy via Twitter. Friday afternoon from Mar-a-Lago the President tweeted that he is reversing sanctions Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin imposed just 24 hours ago.

It was announced today by the U.S. Treasury that additional large scale Sanctions would be added to those already existing Sanctions on North Korea. I have today ordered the withdrawal of those additional Sanctions!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2019

The President did not accurately describe when they were placed into effect, as CNN’s Sarah Westwood reported:

Administration officials are confused about the meaning of President Trump’s sanctions tweet, per @kylieatwood. The Treasury Department penalized two Chinese companies yesterday for helping NK evade sanctions, but those were neither new sanctions, nor were they announced today.

— Sarah Westwood (@sarahcwestwood) March 22, 2019

The White House reportedly scrambled to support Trump’s unilateral decision, seemingly made without consultation with Treasury.

“President Trump likes Chairman Kim, and he doesn’t think these sanctions will be necessary,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, according to The New York Times.

On social media, many – including experts – were stunned:

Richard Haass, the President of the Council on Foreign Relations, noted Trump usurped Secretary of State Mike Pompeo similarly this week:

in just 24 hours the secstate was surprised by Golan Heights tweet & now @realDonaldTrump has lifted new Treasury sanctions vs NK b/c he likes Chairman Kim. There is not even the pretense of a national security process. Hard to imagine what would occur if there were a real crisis

— Richard N. Haass (@RichardHaass) March 22, 2019

Former principal deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs weighed in with a simple but powerful three-letter statement:

JFC. https://t.co/q1daxwjoGA

— Kelly Magsamen (@kellymagsamen) March 22, 2019

Professor of international relations, political scientist, and CEO:

Quite apart from the chaos the NK reversal creates, the weakness it communicates to NK, the undermining of Mnuchin (and Bolton?), this kind of mad King foreign policy sends shockwaves through alliances and makes everyone think the US is run by an unfit leader. (We are.)

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) March 22, 2019

A professor at American University who teaches intelligence and analysis mockingly referred to a top-level official at the National Security Council:

The NSC senior director for Korea is at a bar now, knocking back his 5th whiskey, thinking “I actually sought out this job.” https://t.co/Epei1cUBJ4

— Aki Peritz (@AkiPeritz) March 22, 2019

Democratic 2020 presidential candidate:

The United States of America no longer has a foreign policy. https://t.co/SnMkzYadG6

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) March 22, 2019

Boston Globe columnist:

The president of the United States “likes” a sociopathic, totalitarian dictator https://t.co/9eEhQAcad4

— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) March 22, 2019

National political reporter for NBC News:

Less than 24 hours ago, top National Security Council officials sat down reporters in the EEOB to walk through these #NorthKorea sanctions and how important they are

— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) March 22, 2019

New York Times DC correspondent:

The word “unprecedented” has been beaten into the ground, but this one really really is. Breathtaking move to undercut Mnuchin — and side with genocidal dictator of rogue nuclear state — while WH nervously awaits Mueller report, via @arappeport https://t.co/FhKC02surn

— Glenn Thrush (@GlennThrush) March 22, 2019

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins notes the sanctions are important for denuclearization:

Big. The sanctions were on Chinese shipping companies that the Trump administration said helped North Korea evade international sanctions. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin said the “full implementation” of those UN sanctions is “crucial” to the success of North Korea denuclearizing. https://t.co/RVLbxEXF2M

— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 22, 2019

This is a breaking news and developing story. Details may change. This story will be updated, and NCRM will likely publish follow-up stories on this news. Stay tuned and refresh for updates.

A federal judge ruled he broke the law by delivering a tremendous get-out-of-jail gift to a billionaire child rapist. Now, he’s dining with a Supreme Court Justice.

Embattled Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta is under fire after a federal judge last week ruled he broke the law in how he prosecuted serial child rapist and billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Acosta’s illegal gift to Epstein, who is extremely well-connected – including to now-President Donald Trump – allowed the billionaire pedophile to avoid federal charges and to serve only 13 months in a work-release program.

“Palm Beach multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein, 54, was accused of assembling a large, cult-like network of underage girls — with the help of young female recruiters — to coerce into having sex acts behind the walls of his opulent waterfront mansion as often as three times a day, the Town of Palm Beach police found,” The Miami Herald reported last year.

He could have spent the rest of his life behind bars, were he fully prosecuted.

Enter U.S Attorney Alex Acosta, now President Trump’s Secretary of Labor.

“As part of the arrangement, Acosta agreed, despite a federal law to the contrary, that the deal would be kept from the victims. As a result, the non-prosecution agreement was sealed until after it was approved by the judge, thereby averting any chance that the girls — or anyone else — might show up in court and try to derail it.”

Secretary Acosta has made no indication he plans to resign.

Defending Acosta, President Trump on Friday said, “I really don’t know too much about it,” and, “I know he’s done a great job as labor secretary and that seems like a long time ago,” referring to the deal Acosta made for Epstein in 2007.

So, many on Tuesday are finding it strange and disturbing that Secretary Acosta was seen Monday night out on the town dining at a Washington, D.C. restaurant with a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, the ultra-conservative Samuel Alito.

Daily Beast reporter Betsy Woodruff tweeted out the news, noting also that “Acosta clerked for Alito.”

A tipster spotted Sec. Alexander Acosta (currently embroiled in the Epstein disaster) having dinner last night w Justice Alito at Central by Main Justice

— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) February 26, 2019

Here’s how some are responding:

A guy that broke the law for a pedophile is dining with a member of the Supreme Court. https://t.co/wkJcDHKGpX

— Capitán Colombia (@DanDanUniverse) February 26, 2019

That’s the best example we’ve seen of “the swamp” since Trump got elected on a promise to drain it. https://t.co/gbvls9F9V0

— Nancy LeTourneau (@Smartypants60) February 26, 2019

i’m starting to think that it might be bad that supreme court justices are not bound by the same ethical requirements as every other federal judge https://t.co/DUhayruxjY

— Meagan Hatcher-Mays (@importantmeagan) February 26, 2019

If you read something and it completely shocks your conscience to the point you think “that HAS to be illegal, right?” and then you find out it’s not…

It might be time to start pushing the right people to change that. https://t.co/dbfTUu68MT

— Bob Cunningham (@BCunningham215) February 26, 2019

Corruption. https://t.co/CCaLYVQM0H

— Elaine Benes 🌿 (@resister_sister) February 26, 2019