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Trump Appointee Matt Gaetz’s Long List of Scandals

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Trump Appointee Matt Gaetz’s Long List of Scandals

Donald Trump ruffled more than a few feathers on Capitol Hill when he announced Wednesday he’d called on Matt Gaetz to be his next Attorney General.

Gaetz, 42, is among the most controversial lawmakers in Congress, having been accused of a number of controversies; including showing photos of naked women on the House floor and an investigation into potential sex trafficking.

Before the Floridian can join Trump’s cabinet as the nation’s top law enforcement official, he’ll have to endure a Senate confirmation hearing that’s sure to see him questioned on his laundry list of scandals.

Lone ‘no’ vote on anti-human trafficking bill

Back in 2017, the freshman congressman Gaetz wasn’t a national name yet. Still, he turned heads across the country after he was the lone “no” vote on an anti-human trafficking bill that easily passed both the House and Senate.

Gaetz explained—from a Facebook Live in his living room—that he voted no because he felt the bill, the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, would represent “mission creep” at the federal level. In layman’s terms, he felt the bill would lead to more government bureaucracy than was needed, though he agreed with the bill’s goal. Gaetz was still slammed for being the lone opposing vote, however, and his “no” vote resurfaced years later during the fallout of his alleged sex trafficking probe.

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Bringing right-wing troll to SOTU

Gaetz was again the subject of eye-rolls across the nation in 2018 when he brought the far-right internet troll Chuck Johnson to the State of the Union address. Making the guest choice all-the-more baffling was that some of Gaetz’ colleagues from Florida had opted to bring survivors of a devastating hurricane and the family of a hostage in Iran.

Gaetz, meanwhile, found it appropriate to bring Johnson; a man who’d been banned from Twitter, accused of white nationalism and Holocaust denying, and who was perhaps best known for proliferating fake news stories. Gaetz told the Daily Beast at the time that he gave Johnson a ticket simply because he showed up at his office on the day of the speech. Johnson, meanwhile, said he was a fan of Gaetz because he he has “that f–k you mindset.”

‘Witness intimidation’ of Michael Cohen

Gaetz had turned himself into a national firebrand by 2019, acting as a staunch defender of Donald Trump who frequently appeared on Fox News. It was this year that Gaetz—one day before Michael Cohen was slated to speak before the House Oversight Committee—accused Trump’s former-fixer-turned-foe of being unfaithful to his wife, in what came off as a veiled threat.

Gaetz, tagging Cohen’s account on Twitter, wrote: “Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she’ll remain faithful when you’re in prison. She’s about to learn a lot…”

The post was deleted after Gaetz was admonished for ever making the post. Gaetz insisted it wasn’t “witness intimidation” but was instead just “witness testing.” The Florida Bar opened a probe into Gaetz but ultimately cleared him.

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Nestor, the hidden Cuban ‘son,’ emerges

In the summer of 2020, Gaetz got into a fiery altercation with the former Rep. Cedric Richmond during a congressional hearing on police reform. During a heated back-and-forth, Gaetz exploded at Richmond for suggesting he didn’t know what it was like to fear for a Black son.

Gaetz was unmarried and—as far as the public knew—childless at the time, so many were left scratching their heads after his exchange with Richmond. That same day, however, the Florida congressman took to Twitter to post a photo of who he described was “my son Nestor,” was a 19-year-old from Cuba who’d apparently lived with him for six years. “We share no blood but he is my life,” Gaetz said. He also emphasized in his post that Nestor came to Florida “legally.”

Gaetz and Nestor’s relationship has since been scrutinized, however. Nestor is the son of Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend and spent time living with both Gaetz and his blood family in Florida. Gaetz was also discovered to have described Nestor in social media posts as a “local student” in 2016 and as “my helper” in 2017.

Sex trafficking probe

The New York Times published a bombshell report in 2021 that claimed Gaetz was being investigated by the Department of Justice for sex trafficking. Among the allegations against Gaetz was that he had sex with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her to travel across state lines. “It is verifiably false that I have traveled with a 17-year-old woman,” he told the publication at the time.

In the end, the DOJ announced last year that no charges would be filed against Gaetz and that its probe was complete. However, his pal, the Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg, pleaded guilty to a slew of sex crimes and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. In 2021, the Daily Beast reported on a confession letter that was penned by Greenberg in which he claimed that Gaetz had paid him to arrange sex with several women and a girl who was 17. The Beast also revealed private Venmo logs that showed Gaetz sent money to Greenberg, even using a nickname for the adolescent.

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While Gaetz has been absolved legally, the scandal hurt his reputation on the hill and has seemingly led to unsavory stories about the lawmaker. Recently, that included court docs emerging in September that alleged Gaetz was at a party in 2017 with a naked high school junior who was there to “engage in sexual activities” while drugs like cocaine and ecstasy were present.

Naked pics on the House floor

A CNN report alleged in 2021 that Gaetz had proudly showed images and clips of naked women he’d been sleeping with to aides and lawmakers while in the U.S. Capitol and on the House floor. Among the alleged videos shown on Gaetz’ phone was a nude woman with a hula hoop. A source told CNN the seedy clips were a “point of pride” for the congressman.

CNN’s report suggested that the allegedly sordid conduct from Gaetz was part of a trend from the congressman. The network reported that staff who worked for former House Speaker Paul Ryan once had to meet with Gaetz during his first term to lecture him about behaving professionally on the House floor.

Gaetz denied CNN’s report “in the strongest possible terms.” Just before the story broke, Gaetz claimed that he and his family had been “victims of an organized criminal extortion involving a former DOJ official seeking $25 million while threatening to smear my name.”

Can you spare a pardon?

While perhaps his least-controversial scandal, Gaetz was thoroughly grilled in 2022 when testimony from a Trump attorney—emerging as part of a Jan. 6 Committee hearing—revealed that the lawmaker had allegedly asked for a sweeping pardon from Trump during his final days in office.

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That attorney, Eri Herschmann, said in a deposition that Gaetz had requested a presidential pardon “from the beginning of time up until today, for any and all things.” Cassidy Hutchinson, an ex-White House adviser, also testified that Gaetz had been seeking a pardon since “early December” in 2020, but she said she was unsure why.

After the deposition clip emerged, Gaetz dismissed the committee as a “political sideshow” while other lawmakers, like the former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, remarked that the request was proof Gaetz was up to no good. “The only reason you ask for a pardon is if you think you’ve committed a crime,” Kinzinger said.

House Ethics Committee probe emerges

Likely the most pressing scandal to Gaetz today is a House Ethics Committee probe that was opened last year. The probe, which was initially opened in 2021 but put on ice, is investigating Gaetz for sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, misuse of state identification records, and bribery.

Gaetz denied wrongdoing when the probe was announced in 2023 and said it was “not something I’m worried about.” He also suggested he was being targeted over his politics, saying, “It’s also funny that the one guy who doesn’t take the corrupt lobbyist and PAC money seems to be under the most Ethics investigations.”

The probe remained open as of Wednesday however by Wednesday evening, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Gaetz will resign from Congress “effective immediately” following his nomination to serve as attorney general by President-elect Trump, effectively killing it.

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When news broke of Gaetz’ appointment, ABC News reported that there was an “audible gasp” in a room of House Republicans who were meeting behind closed doors.

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Donald Trump blames Democrats and DEI for fatal Washington mid-air collision

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Donald Trump blames Democrats and DEI for fatal Washington mid-air collision

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Donald Trump blamed Democrats and diversity, equity and inclusion policies for a collision between a commercial jet and military helicopter that killed 67 people just outside of Washington.

Without citing evidence, the president said that his “common sense” assessment was that the accident was caused by lax safety standards as a result of DEI policies introduced by his predecessors.

“There are no survivors,” Trump told reporters on Thursday as he took to the podium in the White House press briefing room for the first time in his second presidency.

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The regional American Airlines flight, which was operated by its subsidiary PSA Airlines, had originated in Wichita, Kansas. The Bombardier CRJ700 jet was making its approach into Washington Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night when it collided with a US army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter, plunging into the Potomac River.

The fuselage of the commercial jet was found in three pieces in the water. The American flight had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, while three soldiers were in the Black Hawk.

Trump, who was flanked by his vice-president and newly sworn in secretaries of defence and transportation, began his remarks with an appeal for unity in “a moment of anguish”, when “the differences between Americans fade to nothing”.

But he quickly launched into a political attack against Democrats, saying that ex-presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden had lowered standards for who was allowed to qualify to be an air traffic controller.

“I put safety first, Obama, Biden and the Democrats put policy first . . . and their politics was even worse.”

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He said that “for an air traffic controller, we want the brightest, the smartest, the sharpest. We want somebody that’s psychologically superior,” adding that “I don’t think” people with “severe disabilities” should be air traffic controllers.

After appearing to blame air traffic controllers for the accident, he then turned his attention to the crew of the Black Hawk.

“You had a pilot problem from the standpoint of the helicopter, because it was visual. It was very clear night . . . the American Airlines plane had lights blazing”, Trump said.

“I have helicopters. You can stop a helicopter very quickly. It had the ability to go up or down, had the ability to turn, and the turn it made was not the correct one”, he added.

US defence officials said the Black Hawk was being flown by an experienced crew on routine training.

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Trump said that investigators were trying to determine whether the troops were using night vision equipment, which “may change your view” from the cockpit. A defence official said the army could not confirm whether the crew was wearing the night vision goggles.

Defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the three soldiers in the helicopter “were on a routine annual night flight retraining on a standard corridor for a continuity of government mission”.

“Tragically, last night, a mistake was made . . . there was some sort of an elevation issue that we have immediately begun investigating at the DoD and army level,” he said, adding that what happened was “absolutely unacceptable”.

Earlier on Thursday, officials said responders had recovered 28 bodies from the American flight and one body from the Black Hawk so far.

Trump said that Russian citizens were aboard the flight and that the US would facilitate the repatriation of their bodies. There has been no direct air travel between the US and Russia since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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Serious aviation accidents are rare in the US. The last major crash involving a US commercial aircraft was in 2009, when 49 people were killed on board a Colgan Air flight which crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York.

Trump urged people to keep flying.

Additional reporting by Felicia Schwartz in Washington

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What we know about the midair crash near Washington, D.C.

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What we know about the midair crash near Washington, D.C.

First responders search the crash site of American Airlines flight 5342 along the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., on Thursday.

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Authorities believe there will likely be no survivors in the midair crash involving an American Airlines regional jet and a Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night in the skies above the nation’s capital.

As of Thursday morning, rescue crews continue to search the frigid waters of the Potomac River, in which pieces of the jet and helicopter have fallen.

In a White House press briefing on the crash, President Trump said the search mission has turned into recovery efforts as of late morning.

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“We are one family today and we are all heartbroken,” he said.

Officials say 28 bodies have been recovered so far. There were 64 people on the plane and three on the Black Hawk. Among the passengers of the jet were members of the U.S. Figure Skating team, several Russian figure skaters, coaches and family members, according to U.S. Figure Skating and Russian state media.

The crash could be the most significant disaster in U.S. airspace in at least 15 years. The investigation is in its early hours and the cause of the midair collision is still unclear.

During a press briefing, Trump shared a number of possible theories of the cause of the crash, including that diversity efforts at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are to blame.

A plane is parked at the Reagan National Airport as the investigation continues into the crash of an American Airlines plane on Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Va.

A plane is parked at the Reagan National Airport as the investigation continues into the crash of an American Airlines plane on Jan. 30, 2025 in Arlington, Va.

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How did this happen?

The midair collision happened as the jet, operated by PSA Airlines on behalf of American Airlines, was attempting to land at Reagan just before 9 p.m. EST on Wednesday. The plane was traveling from Wichita, Kan. It carried 60 passengers and four crew members (two pilots and two flight attendants).

The U.S. Army Black Hawk carried three soldiers and was traveling from Fort Belvoir in Virginia, the Pentagon says. The three were “experienced” crew members taking part in a training exercise, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday morning.

The jet was flying from south to north and lining up to land at the airport when it collided with the Black Hawk, which was flying from north to south, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said during a press conference. The two aircraft collided at a low altitude.

Video recorded from the Kennedy Center, an arts and culture center located a few miles from the crash site, shows a small aircraft approaching the jet and then a bright explosion that lit up the dark night sky.

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According to audio archived by LiveATC.net, which provides live air traffic control broadcasts from air traffic control towers and radar facilities around the world, the plane had initially been cleared to land on runway 1. But an air traffic controller asked the flight crew if they could use runway 33 instead.

This is not an unusual request at this airport, which is incredibly busy and requires a delicate dance to handle the mix of arriving and departing aircraft in very complicated airspace around the D.C. area. There are many military and law enforcement helicopters always operating in the vicinity.

The crash comes after a growing trend of troubling near-collisions near runways across the country.

President Trump takes questions from reporters at the White House on Thursday about the collision of an American Airlines flight with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

President Trump takes questions from reporters at the White House on Thursday about the collision of an American Airlines flight with a military Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

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With no evidence, Trump alleges DEI, night vision to blame for crash

President Trump began his press briefing Thursday morning with a moment of silence for the tragedy that occurred overnight. He then turned to speculating about a number of theories as to what might have contributed to the crash.

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Trump said, without evidence, that diversity initiatives at the FAA had compromised air traffic controller standards. His administration has made eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs a top priority across the federal government.

Asked by a reporter how he could conclude that diversity had to do with the crash while the investigation is ongoing, the president responded: “Because I have common sense, OK? And unfortunately, a lot of people don’t. We want brilliant people doing this.” He blamed past Democratic administrations for, he claimed, lowering standards.

The president also suggested that warnings of the imminent crash came too late from the air traffic controller and that the helicopter pilot “should have seen where they were going.” He said that night vision equipment could have contributed to the accident and alluded to “tapes” of the communications with air traffic control at the time, which have not been formally released.

He also questioned why the helicopter and American Airlines jet were at the same elevation. He said that the American Airlines flight was on the correct path.

It is unclear what, if any, evidence contributed to the president’s claims. An investigation is ongoing as to what went wrong and conclusive answers are likely to take some time.

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Trump picks a new acting FAA head after more than a week of vacancy

Trump said Thursday that he would immediately appoint an acting commissioner to the FAA. The agency had been without a leader for over a week after its previous head, Mike Whitaker, resigned on Inauguration Day. It is not unusual for FAA administrators to leave at the end of an administration, though some have stayed on longer.

Trump’s acting pick to fill the role is Christopher Rocheleau, whom the president described as a “highly respected” 22-year veteran of the agency.

Rocheleau held multiple roles at the FAA during his two-decade tenure, including acting administrator for aviation safety and executive director for international affairs, according to the National Business Aviation Association, where he most recently served as chief operating officer.

Prior to his time at the FAA, he served as an officer and special agent with the U.S. Air Force and was one of the early leaders of the Transportation Security Administration, which was created in the aftermath of 9/11.

What is the latest on recovery efforts?

John Donnelly, the chief of Washington D.C.’s Fire and EMS, said the first alert came in at 8:48 p.m. and they arrived ten minutes later. He said there are 300 responders from neighboring counties and cities as far north as Baltimore coming to assist in the immediate aftermath. It’s a “highly complex operation” with “extremely rough” conditions as temperatures hovered around 36 degrees overnight, according to NOAA’s National Ocean Service, with added wind.

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Donnelly said the crash site in the Potomac River is about eight feet deep and icy.

“It’s just dangerous and hard to work in. And because there’s not a lot of lights, you’re out there searching every square inch of space to see if you can find anybody. Divers are doing the same thing in the water. The water is dark. It is murky. And that is a very tough condition for them to dive in,” he said.”

The National Transportation Safety Board and American Airlines representatives are at the crash site.

Who was on the plane?

The names and ranks of the three Black Hawk crew members will be withheld for now as next of kin notifications are ongoing, Defense Secretary Hegseth said.

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The unit involved in the crash were of the Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion and were flying out of Fort Belvoir, he said. The crew were taking part in their annual proficiency training flight and were undergoing night evaluation. They were also fitted with night vision goggles, he said.

“It’s a tragedy and a horrible loss of life,” Hegseth said.

U.S. Figure Skating confirmed in a statement that several members, including athletes, coaches and family members, were aboard the American Airlines jet and were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.

“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available,” U.S. Figure Skating said.

Former Russian world champions — and husband and wife — Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were identified as victims of the crash, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

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Naumov and Shishkova were on both the Soviet and Russian figure skating teams and won the World Championships in pairs figure skating in 1994.

They moved to the U.S. in 1998 and appear to have stayed involved in the sport: They are both listed as coaches on the website of the Skating Club of Boston.

Trump said there were passengers from at least two other nations beyond the U.S. and Russia on the jet.

A flight information board shows cancelled flights at the Reagan National Airport. Operations at the airport are expected to restart at 11 a.m. EST.

A flight information board shows cancelled flights at the Reagan National Airport. Operations at the airport are expected to restart at 11 a.m. EST.

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How are operations at Reagan National impacted?

A ground stop was ordered at Reagan National Airport lasting for several hours after the crash. Operations at the airport have since resumed.

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“Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority CEO John Potter said, speaking at a Thursday morning news conference at the airport, “It’s safe. We’ve worked with all the federal agencies, FAA. And, you know, it’s been determined that we can open that airport safely.”

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Passenger jet and US Army helicopter collide over Washington

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Passenger jet and US Army helicopter collide over Washington

A passenger jet and a military helicopter crashed near Reagan National Airport outside Washington and plunged into the Potomac river, triggering a search for survivors in near-freezing temperatures.

The regional flight, operated by PSA Airlines for American Airlines, had originated in Wichita, Kansas. The Bombardier CRJ700 and a US Army Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided as the jet approached the airport around 9pm.

American Airlines, which wholly owns PSA, said American Eagle flight 5342 carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, “was involved in an accident” at Reagan National. “Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” the airline added. “We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.”

Robert Isom, American Airlines chief executive, then released a video saying he was travelling to Washington. “We want to learn everything we can about today’s events. That work will take time,” he said.

Officials would not confirm if there had been any casualties, nor did they confirm if any people had been rescued. Many are feared dead.

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Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department said on X that “a multi-agency search and rescue operation is under way” in the Potomac river as about 300 federal, District of Columbia and state responders, including multiple teams of divers, searched for survivors. They were expected to work through the night.

“We’re going to be out there as long as it takes, and we’re obviously trying to get to people as soon as possible,” Washington mayor Muriel Bowser said during a media briefing at the airport early on Thursday. “We are going to recover our fellow citizens.”

A US defence official said there was a crew of three on board the helicopter but no senior personnel. The Black Hawk was on a training flight, according to Heather Chairez, spokesperson for the Army’s Joint Task Force-National Capital Region.

A second defence official said the status of the helicopter crew was unknown. The Army said the Black Hawk was operating out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, about 20 miles from the Pentagon.

“We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available,” the Army said in a statement.

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In a statement, US President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on the terrible accident”. He later posted about the crash on Truth Social, saying it could have been prevented.

“The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport. The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a CLEAR NIGHT, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn,” he asked.

“Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane. This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!” Trump added.

Emergency workers examine the wreckage of the plane in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on Thursday
Emergency workers examine the wreckage of the plane in the Potomac River © Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s recently confirmed defence secretary, wrote on X that the Army and defence department had opened an investigation into the crash.

The airport, located near the Pentagon and across from the National Mall, said all take-offs and landings had been stopped but the terminal remained open.

Sirens blared across the US capital as dozens of police cars swarmed both sides of the river near the scene of the crash, closing off roads to traffic, while helicopters with searchlights circled above and boats circled the wreckage.

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“I hope they find some people alive,” said Michael Wille, 38, who had joined a crowd on Daingerfield island, just south of Reagan airport, to catch a glimpse of the search and rescue effort. “But it’s been three hours now and the water is very close to freezing point.”

A spokesperson for Sikorsky, which makes the Black Hawk helicopter and is owned by defence contractor Lockheed Martin, said: “We have offered our support to the investigation and our customer.”

MHI RJ Aviation, which acquired the CRJ series of aircraft and supporting operations from Bombardier in 2020, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jerry Moran, a senator from Kansas, told reporters he had lobbied for American Airlines to introduce a nonstop flight from Wichita to Reagan National Airport.

“That flight has been in existence about a year, and it is certainly true that Kansas and in Wichita in particular, we’re going to know people who are on this flight,” he said.

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