Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Gaetz, was one of the most controversial among the Cabinet picks, in part because the former representative was subject to an investigation by the House Ethics Committee for three years. Asked about the possibility that the report could be released and show that Gaetz committed no wrongdoing, Swalwell speculated that the discussion this report is sparking distracts from the “real issues” with Trump’s nominee.

“Well, I actually think the report is a bit of a distraction from the real issues with Matt Gaetz, which is that he’s going to step in and politically punish perceived enemies of Donald Trump,” Swalwell said on CNN. News Center. “And he’s going to do all this work at the cost of not investigating issues of money laundering, corruption, counterterrorism and counterintelligence, because he’s just going to be Donald’s lapdog Trump. And he actually told us that’s what he was going to do.

Swalwell added that Trump’s nomination of Gaetz shows the president-elect is ignoring what the majority of voters asked of him, suggesting people care about border security and lowering the cost of living. He also claimed voters wouldn’t take Gaetz seriously as attorney general if his “dirty laundry” was hidden by House Republicans.

Swalwell’s claims that Trump will retaliate run counter to recent comments by the president-elect, who told Fox News Digital that he was not seeking revenge and was not in a position to ” destroy the people who treated me very unfairly.”

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“I’m always looking to give a second or even a third chance, but I’m never ready to give a fourth chance – that’s where I stand my ground,” Trump said..

Earlier this month, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) dismissed the possibility that Trump is seeking revenge on his political enemiesemphasizing that the former president did not do so “during his first term.” He also argued that the Republican Party is opposed to “attacking opponents using the law.”