What's New
The House Ethics Committee found "substantial evidence" that former Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz paid thousands of dollars to women for drugs or sex, including a 17-year-old in 2017, according to a copy of the committee's final report released publicly on Monday.
Newsweek reached out to Gaetz's press team for comment Monday morning and was referred to Gaetz's social media profiles. On X, formerly known as Twitter, he blasted the report as a violation of his due process rights. He has not been charged with a crime.
Why It Matters
The House Ethics report comes after Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration to be President-elect Trump's attorney general. The pair are close political allies and, despite withdrawing as Trump's attorney general pick, Gaetz floated the idea of running for Marco Rubio's Florida Senate seat during a Turning Point USA event on Sunday in Arizona.
The House Ethics findings are likely to further hinder Gaetz's political career and provoke renewed criticism for Trump for his choice of appointments.
What to Know
Gaetz was widely seen as facing an uphill battle for confirmation of the attorney general role due to, among other things, the contents of this report.
The committee had originally voted against releasing its findings, but then backtracked and voted last week to release its investigation into the former congressman. The report released on Monday shows Gaetz paid numerous women, including the 17-year-old, for sex, as well as purchased and used illegal drugs.
"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 reads.
The probe stemmed from accusations that Gaetz was involved in recruiting women online for sex, including the 17-year-old girl. The Department of Justice last year told Gaetz that he would not face federal sex-trafficking charges related to those accusations.
"The Committee has typically not released its findings after losing jurisdiction in a matter," the report reads. "However, there are a few prior instances where the Committee has determined that it was in the public interest to release its findings even after a Member's resignation from Congress. The Committee does not do so lightly."
Following the committee's vote to release its investigation, Gaetz posted on social media that "the people investigating me hated me."
"I've had no chance to ever confront any accusers. I've never been charged. I've never been sued," Gaetz wrote.
Gaetz has vehemently denied that he did anything improper and blames the accusations on a smear campaign. He posted to X that the allegations began under former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with whom he had clashed during their time in Congress.
Gaetz filed a lawsuit against the Ethics Committee in a hope to stop the release of the report before it was made public, calling it "unconstitutional and "potentially defamatory."
Two women had accused Gaetz of paying them for sex. Their attorney, Joel Leppard, told Newsweek previously that his clients were paid a total of $10,000 over Venmo and PayPal. Leppard said his clients had not wanted to publicly testify against Gaetz.
Leppard told Newsweek on Monday that his clients have "now been validated through this comprehensive investigation."
In February 2023, the DOJ informed Gaetz that he would not face federal sex-trafficking charges over allegations that he was involved in recruiting women online for sex.
At the end of November, Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to become the U.S. Attorney General. He also resigned from Congress.
Gaetz said at the time that he will be withdrawing his name from consideration because it is "clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition."
Following his withdrawal, Gaetz announced he would not return to Congress.
What Does The Report Say?
The 42-page report lays out Gaetz's allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use. Read the full document here.
From at least 2017 to 2020, the Ethics Committee found that Gaetz "regularly paid" women to engage in sexual activity with him. The Committee found at least 20 incidents when Gaetz met with women who it said were then paid for drugs and/or sex.
The report alleges Gaetz paid over $90,000 to 12 women between 2017 and 2020, with the payments "likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use."
Page 19 of the report lays out who Gaetz is alleged to have paid and the amount. One woman, who is identified as "former girlfriend," received $63,836.58 between 2017 and 2020. Texts from her showed that Gaetz and his friend were "limited in their cash flow this weekend" as well as when Gaetz said the payments were for "customer appreciation week."
"Witnesses indicated that there were times where a lump sum would be sent to one woman, who would then distribute the money evenly among others who attended the parties," the report reads.
One of these women was a 17-year-old girl, identified in the report as Victim A, who allegedly had sex with Gaetz at a house party in 2017.
"Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex," the report states. "Victim A said she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age."
In his written response, Gaetz described the payments as someone "trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward."
In a letter to the Committee on September 26, 2024, Gaetz denied any relations with anyone underage.
"Your correspondence of September 4 asks whether I have engaged in sexual activity with any individual under 18. The answer to this question is unequivocally NO. You can apply this response to every version of this question, in every forum," the report read.
The committee, however, did not find that Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws. While the report notes that Gaetz "did cause the transportation of women across state lines for purposes of commercial sex," none of those women were under the age of 18 at the time of travel. The committee also did not find evidence that the commercial sex acts were forced or fraudulent.
From 2017 to 2019, the report alleges that Gaetz used or possessed illegal drugs, such as cocaine and ecstasy. There is also evidence that Gaetz regularly used marijuana, as "he appears to have set up a pseudonymous e-mail account from his House office in the Capitol complex for the purpose of purchasing marijuana," according to the report.
In 2018, he accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a trip to the Bahamas, "in excess of permissible amounts." Gaetz was sworn into office in 2017. Two other men and six women were also on this trip.
The committee reported that Gaetz "sought numerous extensions and complained about the burden of the request" throughout the investigation.
"Gaetz knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct the Committee's investigation of his conduct," the report reads. "Gaetz has acted in a manner that reflects discreditably upon the House."
Gaetz allegedly refused "to answer questions about his relationships with the women involved." Gaetz was granted extensions but still missed deadlines, according to the report.
"Despite frequently suggesting he had insufficient opportunities to respond to the allegations against him, Representative Gaetz sent more than a dozen letters to the Chairman and Ranking Member throughout the Committee's review," the report reads.
"Based on the above, 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 read in conclusion.
Is Matt Gaetz Married?
Gaetz has been married to Ginger Luckey since 2021. The couple first met at President-elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in early 2020 when she was 26.
Now 30, Luckey has supported her husband through posts on social media.
"No one loves America more than this guy," one post to Instagram states.
What People Are Saying
Joel Leppard, attorney for women who accused Gaetz of paying them for sex, to Newsweek: "My clients provided crucial testimony to the House Ethics Committee at significant personal cost. The Committee's thorough investigation and detailed findings vindicate their accounts and demonstrate their credibility. Their testimony, supported by extensive documentation and corroborating witnesses, has now been validated through this comprehensive investigation. We appreciate the Committee's commitment to transparency in releasing this report so the truth can be known."
Victor Shi, formerly with Kamala Harris campaign, on X: "Now we know he didn't just sleep with a 17-year-old. He paid to have sex with a 17-year-old, otherwise known as rape. That is what Matt Gaetz wanted Kevin McCarthy to stop from going public. Makes so much sense now."
Matt Gaetz in a December 18 statement on X: "The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes. I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated—even some I never dated but who asked. I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court—which is why no such claim was ever made in court. My 30s were an era of working very hard—and playing hard too. It's embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank, and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now."
Gaetz in a December 23 follow-up on X: "Giving funds to someone you are dating - that they didn't ask for - and that isn't "charged" for sex is now prostitution?!? There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses. This is testimony from one of the alleged "prostitutes" that you won't see in the report!"
What Happens Next
The claims of wrongdoing could further impact on Gaetz's future political career amid talk of a potential run for the Senate or Florida governor. Gaetz is set to host his own show on the One America News Network starting in January.
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