Leaked draft of House Ethics Committee report on former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz reveals state laws and congressional rules, including that he engaged in sex trafficking and paid for sex with minors found “substantial evidence” of serious violations of the law.
The draft survey was: Obtained by CNN It concluded that Gates, President Trump's first nominee for attorney general, paid women tens of thousands of dollars for sex and drugs on at least 20 occasions. The draft report also says that in 2017, Gates paid a 17-year-old girl for sex, which is statutory rape under Florida law.
“The committee found substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated the House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illegal drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress.'' “We have determined that there is,” the Republican-led committee reportedly wrote. Under investigation.
According to a final draft document reported by CNN, Gaetz used payment apps like Venmo and PayPal to send money directly to more than a dozen women while he was a member of Congress.
Investigators also highlighted a 2018 trip to the Bahamas where Gates allegedly “engaged in sexual activity” with multiple women. One woman told the committee that the trip itself became “payment” for sexual services. The same witness reported that Gaetz felt ecstasy during his visit to the Bahamas, which investigators determined was a violation of the House's gift rules.
Meanwhile, Gaetz's legal team is fighting hard to keep the report from seeing the light of day, arguing in a new lawsuit Monday morning that “publication would seriously damage Plaintiff's standing and reputation in the community.” claims. It would be “immediate, serious and irreversible.” Gaetz has long maintained his innocence.
The report comes after more than three years of investigation and follows a furious committee's early resolution not to release the findings of an investigation that began in spring 2021, when Gates was the subject of an FBI investigation. It represents the face.
That leak occurred almost a month later Mr. Gates withdrew his nomination. Mr. Trump was appointed attorney general amid intense opposition, partly due to speculation surrounding the contents of the report.
The House investigation, which began after the Justice Department opened a separate criminal investigation against Gates that was later dropped without charges, was launched to look into a wide range of accusations.
These include his involvement in sexual misconduct and illegal drug use, sharing inappropriate images on the House floor, misuse of state ID, diversion of campaign funds for personal use, and House rules. The allegations include receiving gifts in violation of the law.
Gates has denied all allegations and effectively delayed the report's release by abruptly resigning from Congress last month after President Trump nominated him to be attorney general in a decision that drew bipartisan condemnation. Ta.
But its contents were the subject of intense speculation, as both Republican and Democratic senators expressed serious concerns about Gaetz's suitability to lead America's vast federal judicial and law enforcement apparatus.
Some critics believe that Gaetz, a far-right congressman from Florida, had no choice but to allow the Senate to nominate him in order to block publication of the report, knowing that its contents were likely to be harmful. They accused him of prematurely resigning, long before he had a chance to approve or reject the decision.
The Ethics Committee initially refused to release the documents along party lines, despite some senators requesting to see them ahead of Senate confirmation hearings that were scheduled to be held early next year. voted against. Republican Party Chairman Mike Johnson, a close ally of President Trump, vocally opposed the release of the report.
This change of heart is notable considering Gates later said he would do so. don't try to go back Withdraw the nomination and submit it to Congress.
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Gaetz angrily denounced the committee's revised decision – first reported CNN – noted in a scathing social media post Wednesday that he has never been criminally charged.
“The Biden/Garland Department of Justice spent years investigating allegations that I committed various crimes,” he said. I wrote.
“I wasn't charged with anything, I was completely innocent. No campaign finance violations. And the people who were investigating me hated me.
“The very 'witnesses' that the Department of Justice deemed unreliable were then assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims without cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorneys. I never had a chance to confront my accuser. I was never charged. I have never been sued.
“Instead, the House Ethics Committee will reportedly post its report online, with no opportunity for me to discuss or counter that report as a former member.”
He described his 30s (the age range in which the alleged cheating occurred) as a time of “work hard and play hard.”
“It's not a crime, but I'm ashamed that early in my life I partied more than I should, womanized, drank, and smoked more than I should have.”
But he sharply criticized the current House chaos over the continuing resolution (CR) bill on public spending, which aims to keep the government open, saying, “At least I didn't vote for a CR that would taint the country.'' ” he concluded.
