The House investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz was released and found "substantial evidence" he broke state and federal laws while in office.

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Ray Bogan Political Correspondent

Politics

New ethics report says Matt Gaetz used drugs, paid for sex with minor

Dec 23, 2024

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Ray Bogan Political Correspondent

By Ray Bogan (Political Correspondent), Kalé Carey (Reporter), Bast Bramhall (Video Editor)

The House Ethics Committee report into former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz is now in the eye of the public. The investigation found “substantial evidence” President-elect Donald Trump’s first pick for attorney general broke state and federal laws while in office, including statutory rape of a 17-year-old girl.

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Gaetz resigned from Congress in November after Trump elected him to lead the Department of Justice. He withdrew his name for consideration once stories about his alleged misconduct were revealed. The allegations caused him to lose support with Republican senators needed for confirmation.

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On Monday, Dec. 23, the committee released details into the allegations surrounding Gaetz. Investigators conducted numerous interviews, reviewed thousands of documents and submitted dozens of subpoenas.

“Rep. Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”
House Ethics Committee report

The committee typically doesn’t release its findings but a vote from the majority of the members said the report should be made public.

The report found evidence to support:

From at least 2017 to 2020, Rep. Gaetz regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him.
In 2017, Rep. Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl.
From 2017 to 2019, Rep. Gaetz used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions.
Rep. Gaetz accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.
In 2018, Rep. Gaetz arranged for his chief of staff to assist a woman with whom he engaged in sexual activity in obtaining a passport, falsely indicating to the U.S. Department of State that she was a constituent.

Investigators interviewed women Gaetz allegedly paid for sex and obtained payment information that revealed he gave more than $90,000 to at least a dozen women while serving in Congress.

Those monetary payments also include $400 to someone who was a junior in high school at the time. She said she didn’t disclose her age and Gaetz didn’t ask.

The women who testified said the sexual activity was consensual. However, drug use could’ve impaired their thinking and overall judgment.

The House Ethics Committee said Gaetz attempted to derail its three-year investigation by refusing to be interviewed and failing to provide exonerating evidence.

Gaetz denies all allegations, calling them nothing more than “smears” from his political enemies.

The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes.

I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me.

Then, the very “witnesses” DOJ deemed not-credible were…
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) December 18, 2024

He posted on X that he was “fully exonerated” by the DOJ following a federal investigation into sex trafficking claims in 2021. He said his actions were embarrassing but not criminal and he leads a different life now.

The committee did not find any sufficient evidence of federal sex trafficking.

The report stated, “Although Representative Gaetz did cause the transportation of women across state lines for purposes of commercial sex, the Committee did not find evidence that any of those women were under 18 at the time of travel, nor did the Committee find sufficient evidence to conclude that the commercial sex acts were induced by force, fraud, or coercion.”

Several members of the ethics committee did not agree with the decision to release the report because Gaetz is no longer a member of Congress. They don’t disagree with the findings but believe it’s out of the committee’s purview.

“The decision to publish a report after his resignation breaks from the Committee’s long-standing practice, opens the Committee to undue criticism, and will be viewed by some as an attempt to weaponize the Committee’s process.”
Dissenting opinion by Ethics Committee members

Gaetz is suing the committee in federal court for releasing the report after he resigned from Congress. His lawyers argue the report will lead to irreversible damage to his reputation.

Gaetz has never been charged with a crime related to the report or any other allegations.

Tags: attorney general, Donald Trump, Drugs, Florida, House of Representatives, Investigation, Matt Gaetz, U.S. Department of Justice

[Ray Bogan]

THE HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE REPORT INTO FORMER FLORIDA REPRESENTATIVE MATT GAETZ IS OUT FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE.

THE INVESTIGATION FOUND “SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE” THAT HE BROKE STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS WHILE IN OFFICE, INCLUDING STATUTORY RAPE OF A 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL.

GAETZ RESIGNED FROM CONGRESS IN NOVEMBER AFTER TRUMP NOMINATED HIM TO BE ATTORNEY GENERAL. HE WITHDREW ONCE STORIES ABOUT HIS DRUG USE AND SEXUAL MISCONDUCT CAST A CLOUD OVER HIM.

COMMITTEE INVESTIGATORS CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS AND REVIEWED THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS TO COMPILE THE REPORT.

IT STATES:

“Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”

INVESTIGATORS INTERVIEWED WOMEN GAETZ ALLEGEDLY PAID FOR SEX AND OBTAINED PAYMENT HISTORIES THAT REVEALED HE GAVE MORE THAN $90,000 TO AT LEAST A DOZEN WOMEN WHILE IN OFFICE.

THOSE PAYMENTS INCLUDED $400 TO SOMEONE WHO WAS A JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL AT THE TIME. SHE SAYS SHE DIDN’T DISCLOSE HER AGE AND GAETZ DIDN’T ASK.

THE WOMEN WHO TESTIFIED SAID THE SEXUAL ACTIVITY WAS CONSENSUAL, BUT THE USE OF DRUGS COULD HAVE IMPAIRED THEIR THINKING.

INVESTIGATORS ALSO FOUND EVIDENCE THAT GAETZ USED ILLICIT DRUGS BETWEEN 2017 AND 2020.

THE COMMITTEE SAYS GAETZ ATTEMPTED TO DERAIL THEIR THREE YEAR LONG INVESTIGATION BY REFUSING TO BE INTERVIEWED AND FAILING TO PROVIDE EXONERATING EVIDENCE. GAETZ DENIES ALL ALLEGATIONS, CALLING THEM A SMEAR CREATED BY HIS ENEMIES.

HE POSTED ON X THAT HE WAS FULLY EXONERATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOLLOWING A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO SEX TRAFFICKING CLAIMS.

HE SAID HIS ACTIONS WERE EMBARRASSING BUT NOT CRIMINAL AND HE LEADS A DIFFERENT LIFE NOW.

SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE ETHICS COMMITTEE DID NOT AGREE WITH THE DECISION TO RELEASE THE REPORT BECAUSE GAETZ IS NO LONGER A MEMBER OF CONGRESS.

“The decision to publish a report after his resignation breaks from the Committee’s long-standing practice, opens the Committee to undue criticism, and will be viewed by some as an attempt to weaponize the Committee’s process.”

GAETZ IS SUING THE COMMITTEE FOR RELEASING THE REPORT AFTER HIS RESIGNATION. HIS LAWYERS ARGUE IT WILL LEAD TO IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO HIS REPUTATION. GAETZ HAS NEVER BEEN CHARGED WITH A CRIME.