Matt Gaetz ‘regularly’ paid for sex, including with minor, U.S report alleges
The House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of “regularly” paying for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs all while the Florida Republican was a member of Congress.
Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing.
The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while representing Florida’s western panhandle. The findings conclude that he violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office.
“The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that 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,” the report states.
The report brings to a close a nearly five-year investigation into Gaetz, who spent the majority of his time in Washington enmeshed in scandals, which ultimately derailed his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump as attorney general. His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz indicated recently that he would be interested in running for the open Senate seat in Florida.
The long-anticipated release of the report comes after at least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the panel earlier this month in a secret vote to release the report about their former colleague despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress.
While ethics reports have previously been released after a member’s resignation, it is extremely rare. Gaetz objected to its release, saying last week that he
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