Insider spoke with 14 of Gaetz's former classmates. Here's what they said:
They are considering his previous antics in a new light: Gaetz is being investigated on suspicion of having sex with a minor, a charge he vehemently denies. He also faces a list of other allegations, including showing photos of nude women to fellow lawmakers. Some of his classmates say the constant headlines put his law-school actions in a new light, including a 2006 email for a Super Bowl party that requested attendees bring chips, $1 bills, and strippers.
Read the email for yourself:
A former law-school classmate says the "strippers" line was definitely a joke: A spokesman for Gaetz told Insider, "While Congressman Gaetz has never hosted a party with strippers, he makes excellent BBQ chicken."
Another former classmate opined that Gaetz's behavior was "more over-the-top now": Thirty-four of Gaetz's fellow classmates joined a group of more than 500 William & Mary Law School alumni who signed a petition urging him to resign.
His classmates say they keep a close eye when he's in the news: "Every time The Daily Beast breaks another story on a Friday, it's like, 'Oh boy, go check Twitter,'" said one former classmate who participates in at least three group-text threads with William & Mary alumni where Gaetz is regularly discussed.
2. Benjamin Netanyahu is officially out of power: Netanyahu, the longest-serving Israeli prime minister in history, lost power to his former ally Naftali Bennett, who now presides over a sweeping coalition that was united mainly on sweeping Netanyahu out of office. Netanyahu is now the opposition leader and vowed to return to power soon.
3. Biden's $400 billion plan to aid families caring for those with disabilities hangs in the balance of infrastructure talks: Under the president's plan, Congress would add $400 billion over eight years to help more people get home care. An alternative infrastructure proposal a bipartisan group of senators agreed on last week doesn't include that kind of help for families. "I'm just scared that our families are going to end up on the cutting-room floor as part of dealmaking," one advocate said.
5. These are the stocks that lawmakers are trading: Freshman Rep. Scott Franklin, a Republican from Florida, unloaded a staggering number of shares on May 25 worth up to $165 million in various companies. His largest sale appears to be $35 million to $100 million worth of stock in the telecommunications giant AT&T.
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Rep. Mark Green, a Republican from Florida, bought up to $750,000 in shares of the motor-fuel distributor CrossAmerica Partners in two separate purchases last month.
10. When the cat is the burglar: An Oregon woman has found a creative way to apologize to her neighbors who are not feline so good thanks to her klepto cat. Instead of making "apology rounds" for the stolen gloves, face masks, and other items, Kate Felmet has erected a sign calling her cat, Esme, a thief. A line next to the sign displays the latest from Esme's litteral haul so neighbors can come to claim their possessions. So much for the purrfect crime.
Today's trivia question: Today is Flag Day. In 1977, which famous musician walked the line across the House floor to the spot where presidents deliver State of the Union addresses to read a poem about the holiday? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at bgriffiths@insider.com.
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