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The House of Representatives’ ethics report on Matt Gaetz was leaked, showing numerous illegal acts committed by the former congressman during his tenure.
On Monday (December 23), CBS political correspondent Scott Macfarlane obtained a report on Matt Gaetz from the House of Representatives Ethics Committee. The 40-page report found evidence that the former Republican congressman from Florida paid thousands for sex with women or drugs on at least 20 different occasions, including an instance in 2017 where he allegedly committed statutory rape with a 17-year-old girl. “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 nearly 40-page report reads.
Here’s the 40 page court filing this morning from former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)https://t.co/MXRbO56zMb
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) December 23, 2024
The report comprised evidence, including text message conversations, witness testimony, and receipt of Venmo and PayPal payments to various women. “Nearly every young woman that the Committee interviewed confirmed that she was paid for sex by, or on behalf of, Representative Gaetz,” the report said. All of the instances occurred as Gaetz was a sitting congressman, including a trip to the Bahamas in 2018 which “violated the House rule” where he indulged in sex with multiple women, with one testifying that the trip “was payment” for her. The report also details that between 2017 and 2019, Gaetz “used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions.”
Concerning the 17-year-old girl, the allegation comes from her direct testimony to the committee. “Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex,” the committee wrote. “Victim A said that she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age.” Gaetz defended himself last week, saying that “in my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated — even some I never dated but who asked.”
Gaetz, who is currently set to be a commentator at the conservative One America News Network next month, had filed a complaint on Monday morning to prevent the report’s release but was unsuccessful. The former congressman had been chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to be his attorney general in late November, resigning in what some saw was an attempt to stifle the report’s release. Observers also noted how other House Republicans including Speaker Mike Johnson sought to prevent the report’s release.
