WASHINGTON – The US House Ethics Committee has found that former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex and drugs, including a 17-year-old girl, according to a report released on Dec 23. Gaetz, who has denied the allegations, resigned from Congress in November after being nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as attorney general, but withdrew from consideration due to an expected difficult Senate confirmation.
In an attempt to prevent the report’s publication, Gaetz filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, DC, on Dec 23, arguing that the committee no longer had jurisdiction over him following his resignation. His lawyers sought an emergency order to block the report, claiming it contained “untruthful and defamatory information.”
The Ethics Committee’s report found that Gaetz paid over $90,000 to 12 women for sex and drug-related activities, violating Florida state laws. The report also detailed testimony from a woman identified as “Victim A,” who claimed that Gaetz paid her $400 for sex at a party in 2017, although she did not inform him she was underage at the time. The committee found no evidence to support federal sex trafficking charges, as previously investigated by the FBI.
The report also revealed that all women who testified described their encounters with Gaetz as consensual. However, some expressed doubts about their ability to fully consent due to drug use at the events. In addition to violations involving prostitution and statutory rape, the committee reported substantial evidence of Gaetz’s illicit drug use and accepting luxury travel gifts beyond permissible limits.