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Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz is calling for the abolition of federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives if they do not alter their behavior that has upset members of the Republican Party.

Speaking at CPAC, an annual meeting of conservative activists, on Friday, the Florida Republican criticized Washington as a "deeply corrupt place" that has resulted in "the weaponization of this government."

"Seems like every time I turn around, they engage in surveillance or list building or monitoring," he told the audience attending the conference at National Harbor, Maryland.

"I don’t care if it takes every second of our time and every ounce of our energy," he said. "We either get this government back on our side or we defund and get rid of, abolish the FBI, the CDC, ATF, DOJ, every last one of them if they do not come to heel.”

The audience, made up of far-right activists, loudly applauded Matt Gaetz's condemnation, nearly drowning him out.

To clarify, while discussing the efforts of a Republican congressional committee to target federal law enforcement, Gaetz made the statement about abolishing federal law enforcement agencies if they don't change their ways. Democrats and other critics view the committee's actions as a political attack on the Justice Department due to its investigations of former President Donald Trump.

Matt Gaetz Gaetz had been under a Justice Department sex trafficking investigation. But last month, the Justice Department formally decided not to charge him in connection to the investigation.

"I think vindication looks good on me!" Gaetz said at CPAC. The crowd roared in approval before Gaetz continued. "But there is no time to celebrate."