U.S. Rep. Kinzinger calls on fellow Republican Gaetz to resign

His legal team, led by Marc Mukasey and Isabelle Kirshner, will take the fight to those trying to smear his name with falsehoods," said the statement issued on the lawyers' behalf by Erin Elmore of the Logan Circle Group. Gaetz is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for possibly violating sex-trafficking laws by paying travel expenses for a 17-year-old girl with whom he was romantically involved, according to a U.S. law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger has called for the resignation of fellow Republican Matt Gaetz, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump who faces a federal probe of a possible relationship with an underage girl.

"Matt Gaetz needs to resign," Kinzinger, an outspoken critic of Trump, said in a Twitter post on Thursday night. Kinzinger is the first Republican member of Congress to call on Gaetz, a congressman from Florida, to step down.

Kinzinger issued his statement as a spokeswoman for two New York criminal defence lawyers confirmed they had been hired by Gaetz. "Matt has always been a fighter... and he's going to fight back against the unfounded allegations against him. His legal team, led by Marc Mukasey and Isabelle Kirshner, will take the fight to those trying to smear his name with falsehoods," said the statement issued on the lawyers' behalf by Erin Elmore of the Logan Circle Group.

Gaetz is being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department for possibly violating sex-trafficking laws by paying travel expenses for a 17-year-old girl with whom he was romantically involved, according to a U.S. law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Gaetz has not been charged with any crimes and has denied wrongdoing.

He was scheduled to speak on Friday at the "Save America Summit" at the Trump National Doral resort in Miami. The summit is being organized by Women for America First, a pro-Trump group that organized a Jan. 6 rally near the White House that preceded the U.S. Capitol riot.