Washington (CNN) Democratic Rep. Kathleen Rice of New York, a former federal prosecutor, has asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate a statement Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz made about Michael Cohen, saying that she believes the GOP lawmaker's comments could rise to the level of witness tampering and intimidation. Gaetz, a close ally to the President, tweeted at Cohen on Tuesday, saying, "Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? In a letter sent to the chairman and top Republican on the House Ethics Committee on Tuesday, Rice asks for the panel to "immediately open an investigation" into the statement. "As a former District Attorney and federal prosecutor, I believe this statement is in violation of 18 U.S. Code § 1512, which clearly defines witness tampering and intimidation," the Democratic lawmaker wrote. "According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), this statue applies to proceedings before Congress."

Source: CNN February 27, 2019 20:03 UTC