The until-now unknown adopted son

[struggle4progress]

By Paul V. Fontelo
Posted June 18, 2020 at 6:48pm

... Data compiled by CQ Roll Call — and previously confirmed by Gaetz’s office — did not list the congressman as having any children during his two terms so far in Congress or as a House candidate. As recently as July 2019, CQ Roll Call conducted biographical data checks, and Gaetz’s staff did not disclose Nestor Galban as his son when they were asked to confirm basic biographical information. Instead, his office confirmed that Gaetz was single with no children ...

https://www.rollcall.com/2020/06/18/matt-gaetz-and-the-until-now-unknown-adopted-son-from-cuba/


"I discovered very recently that I had adopted a son eight years ago and that raising him was actually the most important thing I've done in recent years. Sometimes it pays to clean up the clutter: you never know what you may find!"

[struggle4progress]

1. Gaetz only person to vote against anti-human trafficking bill

Posted By Xander Peters on Fri, Dec 29, 2017 at 5:50 pm

... Gaetz cast the lone "no" vote on a widely bipartisan human trafficking bill that passed unanimously through the U.S. Senate ... before sailing through the House by a count of 418 to 1 ...

... real estate developer Cris Dosev — Gaetz's challenger in the 2018 Republican primary — raised his own doubts about the congressman's decision.

"That Matt Gaetz could vote against a law to fight human trafficking and sex slave trade is beyond comprehension," Dosev says in a release. "What was he thinking? ... Near unanimous support on this should be a clear indication that the American people will not tolerate human trafficking" ...

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2017/12/29/florida-rep-matt-gaetz-was-literally-the-only-person-to-vote-against-an-anti-human-trafficking-bill

[BComplex]

7. Something about this whole thing makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Gaetz is another republican male who has all kinds of hidden personal issues. There's just something about republican men, and children.

It's always made me nervous.

[dalton99a]

2. Matt has a predilection for young Hispanic males

Link to tweet

[grantcart]

25. Please see my reply #23

[FM123]

3. I think I read in another thread this this guy is his nephew

He was adopted by Gaetz's sister, he is not his son.

[Cha]

5. I read that Nestor was an ex-girlfriend's son..

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213615356#post13

[sweetloukillbot]

6. I saw something that Gaetz dated the kid's sister

And she was his legal guardian. Gaetz broke up with her, but the kid wanted to stay in Florida so moved in w/ Gaetz.
Sounded like it happened fairly recently as well.

[Blasphemer]

8. In the article, Gaetz, his sister, and his son all ackowledge him as the "father"

It's all over the news: https://people.com/politics/matt-gaetz-tells-story-boy-he-raised-as-a-son/

It was a never a formalized adoption, however. This invites speculation as to his real motives and what the real familial set up is. It could be that his sister has raised the young man and this is all a political stunt.

[struggle4progress]

11. "Our relationship as a family is defined by our love for each other, not by any paperwork."

[smirkymonkey]

16. Oh yes. "Love". Got it

Matt Gaetz would know what love was if it bit him in the ass. At least not the real kind. As for his version, well...

[dawg day]

32. This is called rehoming

If it's even true. A child is adopted legally by one adult, here his own sister. Then, once the authorities are mo longer checking, the child is sent to live with another adult who is not checked and has no legal connection. Even if it's for compassion, the need to lie to the schools and judge is suspicious. Who was the boy's legal guardian? Who paid for his support? Where did he live, and who took care of him when Gaetz was in DC?

These rehoming cases are always suspicious

[BigmanPigman]

4. What the fuck?!?..."very recently that I had adopted a son eight years ago"

Explain this to me please.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. Simple: Gaetz

[struggle4progress]

10. I sometimes use my ESP to try to understand our very dear friends across the aisle

[struggle4progress]

12. "Our relationship as a family is defined by our love for each other, not by any paperwork."

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz Tells the Story of the Teen He's Been Raising Whom He Calls His 'Son'
https://people.com/politics/matt-gaetz-tells-story-boy-he-raised-as-a-son/

[BigmanPigman]

14. Thanks.

I love how the GOP makes up definitions as they go along and how it applies to them at certain times yet not at other times. How convenient. Total BS!

[Arazi]

28. Sounds like Gaetz has been grooming him. Similar to Michael Jackson

[Historic NY]

13. He's the house boy doubling up as the pool boy.

[struggle4progress]

18. +!

[sunonmars]

19. Gaetz does nothing without premeditation, he's trying to get ahead of something with this.......

[MaryMagdaline]

34. Sunomars - bingo - you are on to something

[grantcart]

24. Please see reply #23

[sunonmars]

15. Does not pass the smell test whatsoever.

[More_Cowbell]

17. It would be more believable...

If Gaetz hadn't chosen to announce this the day after he was owned in Congress about the fears that people have raising black kids in this country. Liberals, more than conservatives in my opinion, are expanding the definition of family beyond traditional boundaries. I don't care if the boy wasn't officially adopted.

But Gaetz's history of DUIs, his votes against the interests of people of color, and his weird escapades (trying to get a hotel to give him a key to a guy's room, the strange situation with a former roommate) make people doubt his sincerity.

I haven't seen anyone criticize the young man, but conservatives will claim that that's happening.

It's very odd.

[catbyte]

20. Why would Katie Hill confirm it? This whole thing is weird.

[ibegurpard]

21. It's not going well for her

[greyl]

22. She could be mistaken. nt

[grantcart]

23. Since when is spreading unfounded rumor and sexual innuendo a Dem value

It would seem that Gaetz may have one redeeming quality:

He bonded with the son of a girlfriend and then maintained a relationship with a teenage boy who had no father figure after the girl/boy friend relationship ended.

Now Gaetz is a first class ass but this rumor mongering really seems like the kind of thing he would do and not the kind of WE would do.

Now let's put the issue of Gaetz aside, the rumors attack the ethics, the integrity, and personhood of a young man whose name is in the public and easily identified.

What crime has this young man committed that we now drag his name through the dirt.

I am reminded of the great Democratic attorney who faced Sen McCarthy under very similar circumstances said

"Have you no shame, at long last Senator McCarthy have you no shame?"

[ibegurpard]

26. The gay slurs are gross

But you don't get to suddenly trot out a kid as your "son" that you've never acknowledged as such before when you are suddenly called on the carpet by a black man for having no knowledge or empathy for experience of black men in America. He suddenly introduced us to his "son" as a shield against racism allegations and is trotting him everywhere now and no one can have questions about this sudden and very strange revelation?
Come on...

[struggle4progress]

27. That's a nice-sounding story. But the staff in his office said Gaetz had no children.

... his office confirmed that Gaetz was single with no children ...

And then, presto-chanjo! suddenly he has an adopted son, who he has been raising

... Rep. Matt Gaetz caused quite a stir on Thursday when he tweeted a photo of him and a teenager, writing, "For all those wondering, this is my son Nestor. We share no blood but he is my life. He came from Cuba (legally, of course) six years ago and lives with me in Florida. I am so proud of him and raising him has been the best, most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life" ...

... Gaetz followed up on the exchange on Thursday by tweeting a photo of Nestor Galban, a 19-year-old legal Cuban immigrant who Gaetz said is his son and has lived with him for 6 years ...

Except, whoops! there wasn't ever any adoption

... Gaetz did not formally adopt Nestor (and he declines to discuss Nestor’s relationship with his biological family now). He re-frames the matter, saying, “Our relationship as a family is defined by our love for each other, not by any paperwork” ...

And the story has changed constantly

... A photo from Gaetz's official Facebook page resurfaced following the representative's announcement. In photo, dated March 5, 2016, he refers to Nestor as one of two "local students" he worked with while in Tallahassee. In 2017, Gaetz appeared on a Facebook live from his parents' Walton County living room to defend his lone no vote on an anti-human trafficking bill that passed both houses of Congress on Dec. 19 of that year. Nestor is visible on the couch behind Gaetz throughout the broadcast. Instead of calling Nestor his son, Gaetz said "I've got my helper, Nestor, here" ...

Got no kids. He's a local student. He's my helper. He's my son. Unofficially adopted, of course, but what's that got to do with love?

Yeah, it's a nice-sounding story but I'm not sure it's true. I really couldn't care less whether Gaetz is gay. But he's a showboating a-hole and a liar, and I getting tired of that shtick

[dawg day]

33. And it's all very informal...

Though apparently right there in Florida is the young man's sister and bio father?

[MaryMagdaline]

36. Nestor may be a victim here

Inquiry is reasonable under these circumstances. At a bare minimum the guardian/sister “rehomed” him to Gaetz. The state has a right to consider that home and it is unlikely the state would have approved a 20-something alcohol addicted single parent who is gone months out of the year as a suitable parent.

On the other hand if the sister/guardian and Gaetz kept him out of foster care then much respect to them.

Gaetz, who refused to wear a mask early on, and who votes against sex trafficking laws, does not look like a humanitarian. The state of Florida has a right to consider secondary gain by an adoptive parent - is the adoptive parent grooming that child?

Sorry, this is worth a look. I live in Florida and DCF needs to look at these cases.

[Croney]

29. A 19-year-old man is not a "kid" like Barron, so putting a spotlight on him doesn't bother me much.

He is following in the political footsteps of his "daddy," right? Or is he? And he's a voter.

Love is love. Too bad they don't preach what they're practicing, whatever it may be.

[Baitball Blogger]

30. This sounds like a Sally Struthers kind of adoption,

only for humans.

[Sunsky]

31. Nestor was a secret until it was convenient for Gaetz

With parents like those... I don't know and won't speculate on the dynamic of their relationship but what I do know is- Matt Gaetz has done nothing positive for the Hispanic community of which Nestor belongs. His "love" for his son did not drive change in his heart to use his influence to promote positive legislation for this vulnerable population. But, when it was convenient, he used his relationship with "his son" to try and score cheap points. It reminds me of the racists' famous words, "I have black friends".

The original point he was trying to make was straight up BS because nobody accused the Republicans of not having relationships with people of color. The fact is, their legislative record is atrocious regarding people of color. That's all. Not falling for the Gaetz distraction technique. He's a POS. This has nothing to do with sexuality, but everything to do with humanity. Gaetz is scum and a user. He is using his relationship with Nestor, plain and simple. Nestor has become a prop.

[SoonerPride]

35. There are no adoption papers for Nestor. By Gaetz or his sister. Or anyone.

The entire thing is made up.

[UpInArms]

37. I discovered very recently that I had adopted a son eight years ago

Wha?

Someone needs to explain that you don’t discover “recently” what you did “eight years ago”

[struggle4progress]

38. I should confess that's not quite a real quote: I was just trying to read the man's mind

[UpInArms]

39. No worries ...

Maybe it was more like

I discovered very recently that I was hiding that I had adopted a son eight years ago that now is politically expedient for me to use.

[struggle4progress]

40. There was never any actual adoption

[UpInArms]

41. Of course not

The guy is a Republican (longhand for liar)