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Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., allegedly paid several women for sex, including a 17-year-old high school girl, and used illicit drugs including cocaine and ecstasy, according to a report. Ethics Committee of the Chamber report
The 37-page report released Monday morning concluded that Gaetz committed multiple violations Florida State Laws related to sexual misconduct during the position.
“The Committee concluded that there was substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct that prohibit prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, l “acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and the obstruction of Congress,” the report states.
Gaetz has consistently denied any allegations of wrongdoing, and a previous federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against him. Earlier Monday, Gaetz filed a lawsuit to try to block the release of the report.
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Rep. Matt Gaetz at the Capitol building in Washington, DC on March 7, 2024, before President Biden’s State of the Union address. (Aaron Schwartz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The committee’s report stated that Gaetz “continuously sought to mislead, dissuade, or mislead the Committee to prevent his actions from being exposed.”
The report alleges that despite Gaetz’s denials, made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women “probably related to sexual activity and/or drug use” from 2017 to 2020.
In one alleged sexual encounter, Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old at a party in the summer of 2017, according to the committee’s report. The report concluded that the act violated Florida statutory rape law even though the girl, identified in the report as “Victim A,” said she never told Gaetz her age.
“The committee received testimony that Victim A and Representative Gaetz had sex twice during the party, including at least once in the presence of other party-goers,” the draft report alleges.
Rep. Matt Gaetz in front of the US Capitol building on September 29, 2023 in Washington, DC (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The 17-year-old girl claimed to have received $400 in cash from Gaetz, “which she understood to be payment for sex,” according to the report. He said he was under the influence of ecstasy at the time of the sexual encounter, while he alleged he saw Gaetz use cocaine.
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The committee’s report said it received no evidence that Gaetz knew the girl was a minor when he allegedly had sex with her.
The report also alleges that Gaetz refused to comply with a subpoena demanding an interview and “intentionally withheld information” about a trip to the Bahamas with women.
Gaetz resigned from Congress last month after President-elect Trump nominated him to be his attorney general. Gaetz later dropped consideration for the position. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, File)
The committee said it obtained text messages Gaetz allegedly sent to the women, asking them to bring drugs “on their date,” referring to the drugs as “party favors,” “rolls” or “vitamins”.
In interviews with the committee, witnesses said they observed Gaetz using marijuana, the report states.
The House Ethics Committee’s multi-year investigation into Gaetz, which involved allegations of sex with a minor and illegal drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after the president-elect trump touched him to be its attorney general.
Gaetz later dropped out of consideration for the position amid quiet but steady silence Republican opposition.
The House Ethics Committee lost its authority to continue its investigation into the allegations against Gaetz after he resigned from Congress. Although the committee “has not typically released its findings after losing jurisdiction over a matter,” as noted in the report, the majority of committee members determined that the findings should be released now which were of public interest.
