ReutersFormer Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz spent tens of hundreds of {dollars} on intercourse and medicines whereas serving as a US congressman, in accordance with a long-awaited report from the Home of Representatives ethics committee.
It follows a years-long investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use by Gaetz, who President-elect Donald Trump wished to function the nation’s high lawman.
The committee additionally discovered proof that Gaetz, 42, acquired items in extra of permissible quantities in connection to a 2018 journey to the Bahamas.
The previous lawmaker has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, saying he’s the sufferer of a smear marketing campaign. Amid the controversy, he withdrew from consideration to function US lawyer common.
The congressional ethics report discovered that “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 favours or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”
From 2017 to 2020, Gaetz made funds totalling greater than $90,000 (£72,000) to 12 completely different ladies “that the Committee determined were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use”, the report discovered.
Moreover, the report comprises testimony that Gaetz paid for intercourse with a 17-year-old at a celebration in 2017, giving her $400 “which she understood to be payment for sex”. Gaetz has denied having intercourse with a minor.
The Division of Justice additionally investigated an allegation that he had intercourse with a minor however in the end didn’t file any prison fees towards him.
In a last-minute court docket submitting on Monday, Gaetz sought a brief restraining order to stop the report’s launch. He accused the ethics committee of making an attempt to train its jurisdiction over a personal citizen.
The committee’s 42-page report accuses Gaetz of being “uncooperative” all through its evaluation, and that he would continuously “deflect, deter, or mislead” the panel “in order to prevent his actions from being exposed”.
Regardless of a subpoena, he by no means appeared earlier than the committee to testify.
Gaetz represented Florida’s first congressional district within the US Home of Representatives, having come to energy in the identical election in 2016 that propelled his ally Trump to the White Home the primary time.
Gaetz bought married in 2021 to his present spouse, Ginger, who has supported the previous Florida congressman as he is confronted the allegations.
She posted a photograph on X of her husband with the caption “unemployment has never looked so good” after he withdrew his identify to function lawyer common after resigning from Congress.
Gaetz was believed to be past the attain of the committee when he resigned from Congress final month, following his nomination by Trump to function US lawyer common – America’s high legislation enforcement official who heads the Division of Justice.
Trump picked Gaetz partially as a result of he’s an ultra-loyalist who had additionally pledged to tackle the “weaponised” authorized system that supporters imagine focused Trump.
He has been one among Trump’s most strident defenders on Capitol Hill. However many Republicans in Congress, together with these tasked with voting on such nominations, had been aghast on the alternative and efficiently challenged it.
Gaetz dropped out simply eight days after being nominated by Trump amid a groundswell of controversy. Trump then tapped former Florida lawyer common Pam Bondi as his nominee for lawyer common.
Trump has not but commented on the report’s findings.
Whereas it’s uncommon for the committee to launch its findings after a lawmaker leaves public workplace, the report famous {that a} “majority” of members discovered it was within the public-interest to take action on this occasion.
An intense debate had erupted over whether or not or not the report ought to be launched, significantly after Gaetz withdrew his identify from consideration for the highest justice division function.
He mentioned that he hoped to keep away from a “needlessly protracted Washington scuffle”.
Gaetz’s slated function as lawyer common was a kind of that required the affirmation of US senators, and it didn’t appear that he had the required help.
The secretive ethics committee had investigated Gaetz on and off since 2021 – not solely on the claims about intercourse and medicines, but additionally on allegations he accepted bribes and misused marketing campaign funds. In all instances, he strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Home Republicans beforehand blocked Democratic efforts to unveil the outcomes of the report, however two of them later voted to take action, in accordance with CBS.
On Monday, Gaetz posted on that X that the committee selected to launch the report near Christmas “and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses”.
Final week, he posted that the ethics committee planed to “post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body.”
He acknowledged in a earlier submit on X that his 30s was an period of “working very hard – and playing hard too”.
“It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life,” he wrote. “I live a different life now.”
A number of Home Democrats criticised their former colleague and Trump for having chosen him as an ally.
Rep Glenn Ivey, one of many 5 Democrats on the ethics committee, mentioned the allegations towards Gaetz present there is a sample by Trump of not “putting people in those positions who are really up to doing the job”.
“President-elect Trump should have thought twice before he nominated Matt Gaetz and some of the other nominations he’s made, I think would bear reconsideration as well,” he advised CBS Information, the BBC’s US associate.
Since leaving Congress, Gaetz has signed a deal to develop into an anchor on One America Information Community (OAN). He’ll be part of the conservative information community in January.
He has additionally began promoting personalised video messages on the video platform Cameo.
