A House Ethics Committee report alleges that Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s former attorney general nominee, engaged in illicit drug use and paid substantial sums for sexual encounters, including with a 17-year-old.
The US House Ethics Committee found “substantial evidence” indicating that former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, President-elect Trump’s initial pick for attorney general, paid for sex with a minor. The committee also alleges other serious violations of state and federal law. Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced in November, following Trump’s election victory.
While the Department of Justice concluded an investigation into sex trafficking claims against Gaetz without filing charges, the House Ethics Committee, which began its own inquiry in 2021, continued its review.
The committee’s report, released Monday, details “substantial evidence” that Gaetz “regularly paid” women for sex from 2017 to 2020, contravening House rules and ethical standards. These payments allegedly totaled tens of thousands of dollars.
The report further alleges that in 2017, Gaetz paid a 17-year-old for sex, constituting statutory rape under Florida law given Gaetz’s age of 35 at the time. The report also states that between 2017 and 2019, Gaetz repeatedly “used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy.”
Additional violations cited include impermissible gifts, special favors, and misuse of campaign funds. The committee also asserts that Gaetz “knowingly and willfully” obstructed its investigation by withholding evidence and providing misleading answers.
In a last-ditch effort to prevent the report’s release, Gaetz’s lawyers filed a civil lawsuit against the committee and its chairman, Congressman Michael Guest, on Monday. The lawsuit claims Gaetz received insufficient notice of the report’s release and lacked access to relevant materials beforehand, violating House rules. It also argues the committee lacked jurisdiction to continue its investigation following Gaetz’s resignation from Congress.
The lawsuit sought a temporary restraining order to halt the report’s publication, but procedural errors hampered its progress, preventing the order before the report’s release.
Gaetz vehemently denounced the report on X, characterizing it as defamatory and refuting its findings in numerous posts and retweets from his supporters. He denies any wrongdoing, acknowledging financial contributions to women he dated, but insists he has “NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18” or used illegal drugs.