‘The View’s Sunny Hostin Forced To Read A Legal Note About Matt Gaetz Moments After Accusing Him Of “Child Sex Crimes”

Sunny Hostin appeared somber when she was forced to deliver a legal notice on The View after she ranted against Matt Gaetz being appointed to Donald Trump‘s incoming cabinet despite being accused of having sex with a minor, amongst other allegations.

“Child sex crimes and child trafficking. How could you nominate someone with allegations of child trafficking or trafficking across state lines and having sex with a 17-year-old?” Hostin asked on the yesterday’s (Nov. 19) episode of the show.

Minutes later, Whoopi Goldberg announced that Hostin has a “legal note” to share, as she often does on the show. However, this one felt a little poorly timed after Hostin had spent air time ripping the politician apart.

“I do have a legal note. Thank you, Whoopi,” Hostin replied, before reading the note. “Matt Gaetz has long denied all allegations, calling the claims, quote, ‘invented,’ and saying in a statement to ABC News that ‘this false smear following a three-year criminal investigation should be viewed with great skepticism.’ The DOJ investigation was closed with no charges being brought.”

The show then promptly went to commercial break without any further discussion about the topic.

The former Florida congressman was the subject of a long-running investigation by the House Ethics Committee on several allegations including that he allegedly had sex with a minor, participated in sex trafficking, accepted bribes, and used illicit drugs, per The BBC.

The House Ethics Committee was set to vote on whether to release their report on Gaetz Nov. 15, but the vote was pushed back after the congressman swiftly resigned from his post when Trump appointed him to serve as attorney general.

Now, the committee will be determining whether to release the report Wednesday (Nov. 20).

The View‘s Alyssa Farah Griffin previously raised her own concerns about the former congressman, who she said is “widely disliked, even by his Republican colleagues.” She explained that she had a bizarre run-in with him at the White House when she worked under the first Trump administration.

“I don’t know Matt Gaetz personally, my only experience with him came back to mind when this was announced,” she explained. “I was standing in the outer Ovals, the room outside of the Oval Office, with Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan. Matt Gaetz was holding a folder, he was about to go meet with then-president Trump.”

She claimed Gaetz had a folder full of “printed out conspiracy theories that Joe Scarborough of Morning Joe and former congressman had murdered his staffer.”

“I said, ‘Please do not show these to the President of the United States,’” Griffin recalled. “Then, days ensued of Donald Trump tweeting false, malicious claims about Joe Scarborough. The family of the woman who died — there was no foul play, it was a tragedy — begged Twitter and the White House to take it down, so that speaks to his character, integrity, and judgment.”

Griffin added that she hoped the Senate will consider the “qualifications, credentials, and the character” of Trump’s cabinet nominees before swearing them in.

The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.