The House Ethics Committee on Monday announced the findings of a long-running investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), finding that the Florida congressman had committed “statutory rape, solicitation of prostitutes, and illegal drug use.” He claimed to have found “evidence.” Mr. Gates denies the accusations.
ethics committee said The report states:
The committee will continue to review Congressman Gaetz's rules, state and federal laws, and other conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illegal drug use, accepting impermissible gifts, providing special favors or privileges, and public nuisance. It concluded that there was substantial evidence that the standards had been violated. meeting.
Ethics investigators alleged that Gaetz “knowingly and knowingly attempted to obstruct and impede the commission's investigation.”
The report's release comes after Gaetz's resignation from Congress prevented the panel from releasing its report. However, the committee decided to make the report public, believing it to be in the public's interest. Mr. Trump initially selected the Florida lawmaker to lead the Justice Department, but he has now been floated as a candidate for Florida governor in 2026, and there is a possibility that he will be appointed to a post in the Trump administration in the future.
Gaetz also questioned whether he should run for Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-Florida) seat now that Rubio has been nominated to be secretary of state.
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The Florida congressman led the effort to oust then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and infuriated many in Washington, D.C., by accusing the ethics committee of investigating him. Ta. But Gaetz insists the move to oust McCarthy was not due to a congressional investigation into him.
The committee did not find “sufficient evidence” to prove that Gates violated federal sex trafficking laws, but the Justice Department was also investigating.
Gates issued the statement last week after it was reported that the Ethics Committee had voted to make the report public. states“When I was single, I used to send money to women I dated, even women I'd never dated but who asked me to. I dated some of these women for years. It's not criminal. But I'm ashamed that I partied, womanized, drank, and smoked more than I probably should have earlier in life. I'm living a different life now.”
politiko be familiar with Details of the report's findings:
In addition to allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use, the ethics investigation found that Gaetz violated House rules by accepting excessive gifts, including travel and lodging, in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas. It turned out. Gaetz also arranged for a senior staff member to help “obtain a passport for a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual activity” in 2018 and falsely claimed she was a voter to the U.S. State Department, under separate ethics rules. He also claims that he violated the.
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The report said Gaetz had sex twice with a 17-year-old girl who had just graduated from her senior year of high school at a party at a lobbyist's home in Florida in July 2017. The age of consent in Florida is 18 years old.
In testimony from a now 24-year-old woman known as “Victim A,” she said she had sexual relations with Gates “on at least one occasion in the presence of other party attendees” and received $400 in cash from Gates. said. , she understood it as the price of sex. The woman also testified that she took ecstasy before the sexual encounter, and Gaetz said he also used cocaine that night.
“There is substantial evidence that Congressman Gaetz used cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana.
“At least two women witnessed Congressman Gaetz using cocaine and ecstasy at various events. Additionally, nearly every witness interviewed said Congressman Gaetz was using marijuana. “we observed that,” the report continued.
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“The decision to release the report after his resignation reflects the committee's long-standing “By departing from this practice, the Commission is exposed to unfair practices.” It has been criticized and may be seen by some as an attempt to weaponize the commission's process. ”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter at Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3.
