A House Ethics Committee report released on Monday claims that former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) allegedly used illegal drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine and paid multiple women for sex, including a 17-year-old female high school student.
The report released by the House Ethics Committee states, “The Committee concluded there was substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”
According to Fox News, Gaetz has repeatedly denied the allegations raised by the House Ethics Committee, and a Department of Justice investigation into the allegations against the former Republican congressman was closed without any charges filed against him.
Monday’s report claims that Gaetz “continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed” throughout the committee’s investigation.
The report claims that Gaetz allegedly made significant payments from 2017 to 2020 to women “likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use” from 2017 to 2020. The committee also claimed that Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old at a party in 2017.
The report stated, “The Committee received testimony that Victim A and Representative Gaetz had sex twice during the party, including at least once in the presence of other party attendees.” According to the report, the 17-year-old claimed she received $400 from Gaetz, “which she understood to be payment for sex.”
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The House Ethics Committee also claimed that it obtained text messages allegedly sent by Getz to multiple women. In the alleged messages, Gaetz allegedly asked the women to bring drugs with them “to their rendezvous,” according to Fox News.
The House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Gaetz ended in November after the Republican lawmaker resigned from Congress after being nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as attorney general. However, after facing opposition from Republicans in the Senate, Gaetz ultimately chose to withdraw his name from consideration for attorney general.
In a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter, Gaetz defended himself on Monday against the allegations contained in the report and criticized his opponents for releasing the allegations without a chance for him to present any evidence to counter their claims.
“Giving funds to someone you are dating – that they didn’t ask for – and that isn’t ‘charged’ for sex is now prostitution?!?” Gaetz wrote. “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.”
