Claim:

One image authentically shows an arrest photo of Matt Gaetz.

Rating:

After the announcement of the President-elect of the USA, Donald Trump, on November 13, 2024, that he will nominated Florida Representative Matt Gaetz to his office as attorney general, years-old claims related to the alleged criminal record of this potential law enforcement officer have resurfaced on social media platforms. Many social media posts, inclusive THE X post below, he embedded what appeared to be a photo of Matt Gaetz.

As did Snopes previously writtenthis is an authentic police photo of Matt Gaetz, taken after an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) in October 2008. In a 2019 article, Snopes determined that the image was real, as it was recognized by the congressman himself. Era reported on in depth by the Tampa Bay Times in 2014:

A controversy followed when the charges against Gaetz, whose father was a member of the Florida State Senate at the time, were dropped and his license reinstated. This was despite a Florida law that imposes a one-year suspension for refusing to take a breathalyzer test.

Conformable per the Tampa Bay Times, “A field officer for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said there was no evidence Gaetz refused a breath test. However, the refusal was clearly documented in the affidavit and arrest report (of the arresting officer).

The arresting officer, Okaloosa County Deputy Chris Anglin, resigned a month after Gaetz’s arrest under pressure from his superiors, who cited disciplinary issues. Questioning whether Gaetz’s father’s political connections played an improper role in those results, Snopes he wrote in 2019, he’s been following Gaetz for years. Gaetz, for his part, has dismissed accusations such as “tabloid journalism”.

Several false claims, including that there are as many as seven DUI arrests on Gaetz’s record and that his roommate allegedly died under suspicious circumstances, have long been associated with this photo. Although these claims are false, the authenticity of the photo is not in question. Therefore, this statement is true.

Sources:

“Florida lawmaker files bill that would ban release of arrest photos”. The Bradenton Herald, https://www.bradenton.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article34599507.html.

Grayer, Hannah Rabinowitz, Holmes Lybrand, Annie. “Trump picks Rep. Matt Gaetz to serve as attorney general | CNN Politics”. CNN, 13 Nov. 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/13/politics/matt-gaetz-attorney-general/index.html.

Kasprak, Alex. “Yes, Rep. Matt Gaetz was arrested for a DUI. Snopes, 12 July 2019, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/matt-gaetz-mug-shot/.

“Matt Gaetz’s Mug Shot Speech Raises Questions About DUI Arrest”. Tampa Bay Times, https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/lawmakers-talk-of-mug-shot-raises-questions-about-dui-arrest/2166023/. Accessed 13 November 2024.