The House Ethics Committee released its report into Matt Gaetz investigation. The reports shows that the former congressman allegedly paid for sex and drugs including paying an underaged girl for sex.
Gaetz has denied wrongdoing but did say last week, “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,” Gaetz said. “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,” CNN reported.
Gaetz filed a lawsuit in federal court to prevent the report’s release saying that he is a private citizen and does not come under the committee’s jurisdiction any longer, CBS News reported.
The committee still released the report Monday morning. You can read it here or see below.
In the introduction, the report said, “Specifically, the Committee undertook a review of allegations that Representative Gaetz may have: engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use; shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor; misused state identification records; converted campaign funds to personal use; and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift.”
The report said Gaetz broke state laws that he paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex or drugs at least 20 times. One of the women he allegedly paid was 17 years old in 2017 when the committee said some of the allegations occurred. She had just completed her junior year in high school when the alleged sexual encounter happened. She did not tell Gaetz she was under 18 and he allegedly didn’t ask, CBS News reported.
“From 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women that the Committee determined were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use,” the report said, according to CBS News.
The report said Gaetz paid more than $90,000 to a dozen women and used or possessed illegal drugs including cocaine and ecstasy, The New York Times reported.
Gaetz served in Congress from 2017 until he resigned last month when President-elect Donald Trump selected him to be the attorney general in Trump’s second term. Gaetz removed his name from consideration about a week later.
The committee said that with Gaetz’s resignation from the House, “the Committee lost jurisdiction to continue its investigation.”
Typically, the committee will not release its findings when the jurisdiction is no longer, but said “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” to explain why the report was released.
The committee said Gaetz broke Florida state laws including statutory rape and House rules including misuse of his office, among others, The New York Times reported.
“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 committee wrote according to CNN.
The committee however did not find enough conclusive evidence that Gaetz violated sex trafficking laws.
“Although Representative Gaetz did cause the transportation of women across state lines for purposes of commercial sex, the committee did not find evidence that any of those women were under 18 at the time of travel, nor did the committee find sufficient evidence to conclude that the commercial sex acts were induced by force, fraud, or coercion,” the committee said, according to the Times.
Gaetz did not provide sworn testimony in front of the committee but did submit some written answers.
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