In private communications reviewed by The Daily Beast, Matt Gaetz indicated his vendetta against Kevin McCarthy was rooted in the Ethics Committee investigation against Gaetz.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has been adamant that his move to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was rooted in policy disagreements and wasn’t a personal vendetta related to the congressional ethics investigation against him.

In private, he told a different story.

According to private correspondence reviewed by The Daily Beast, Gaetz indicated to a friend that his effort to undercut, isolate, and ultimately remove McCarthy was, indeed, payback for the ethics probe.