Aaron Bernstein/Reuters
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) reportedly laughed off a Florida Bar inquiry into his tweet appearing to threaten President Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen. According to The Miami Herald, Gaetz dismissed the inquiry as nothing more than a formality prompted by people complaining about his comments—but he expected it not to go any further. “The Florida Bar has to investigate,” Gaetz said. “If I said [a reporter standing next to him] purposely wears striped ties because he knows they intimidate me and if I filed a bar grievance against him for that purpose, they would have to investigate, so I’m not concerned.” The newspaper reports that if the Bar decides to impose formal punishment, Gaetz has a right to formally respond to them beforehand. “I told him I was sorry and I shouldn’t have mentioned his family,” Gaetz said, describing his conversation with Cohen after the tweet sparked controversy. “He appreciated that I acknowledged that mistake on my part. He asked me to publicly ask folks to leave his family alone and I thought that was a fair request.” The Daily Beast first reported that Gaetz was being investigated by the state's Bar over the tweet—in which Gaetz implied that Cohen's wife and family would learn of his infidelity once he was in jail.