Matt Gaetz accused of paying women for sex, using illegal drugs in House report | Fox News
By: Stephen Sorace (Fox News)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on Matt Gaetz withdrawing from attorney general consideration on 'Your World.'
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., allegedly paid multiple women for sex, including a 17-year-old high school girl, and used illicit drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, according to a House Ethics Committee report.
The 37-page report released Monday morning concluded that Gaetz violated multiple Florida state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office.
"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," the report states.
Gaetz has consistently denied any accusations of wrongdoing, and an earlier federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against him. Earlier Monday, Gaetz filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the release of the report.
MATT GAETZ REPORT BY HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO BE RELEASED
Rep. Matt Gaetz in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 2024, ahead of President Biden's State of the Union address. (Aaron Schwartz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The committee's report stated that Gaetz "continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed."
The report alleges that despite Gaetz's denials, he made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women "likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use" from 2017 to 2020.
In one alleged sexual encounter, Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old minor at a summer 2017 party, according to the committee's report. The report concluded that the act violated Florida's statutory rape law even though the girl, identified in the report as "Victim A," said she never told Gaetz her age.
"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," the draft report alleged.
Rep. Matt Gaetz outside the U.S. Capitol Building on Sept. 29, 2023, in Washington, D.C.(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The 17-year-old girl claimed to have received $400 in cash from Gaetz, "which she understood to be payment for sex," according to the report. She said she was under the influence of ectasy at the time of the sexual encounter, while alleging that she saw Gaetz use cocaine.
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The committee's report stated that it did not receive any evidence indicating Gaetz was aware the girl was a minor when he allegedly had sex with her.
The report also alleges Gaetz refused to comply with a subpoena demanding an interview and "intentionally withheld information" about a trip to the Bahamas with women.
Gaetz resigned from Congress last month after President-elect Trump tapped him to be his attorney general. Gaetz later dropped out of consideration for the post.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, File)
The committee said it obtained text messages Gaetz allegedly sent to women, asking them to bring drugs "to their rendezvous," referring to drugs as "party favors," "rolls" or "vitamins."
In interviews with the committee, witnesses said they observed Gaetz using marijuana, the report states.
The House Ethics Committee's multi-year investigation into Gaetz, involving allegations of sex with a minor and illicit drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after President-elect Trump tapped him to be his attorney general.
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Gaetz later dropped out of consideration for the post amid quiet but steady GOP opposition.
The House Ethics Committee lost its jurisdiction to continue its investigation into the accusations against Gaetz after his resignation from Congress. While the committee "has typically not released its findings after losing jurisdiction in a matter," as noted in the report, a majority of committee members determined that the findings should be released as they were in the public interest.
Gaetz had filed a lawsuit on Monday in an attempt to block the release of the committee's report.
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The state needs to charge his ass and put him in prison.
I agree. It's my understanding the 'underage woman' refused to testify. I'm not sure the Feds have a case they can win.
If the state had any real evidence outside of "allegations" made by the committee they would have.
Or do you think Merrick Garland suddenly became a strict Constitutionalist and needs overwhelming evidence for filing charges?
Democrats dumped this report in order to further damage Gaetz- nothing else.
I am sure there are damaging reports based nothing on allegations with no concrete evidence on Democrats that Republicans can now feel free to dump.
It appears that there was no crime committed......
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He had sex with an underage teen, and you're justifying it? Wow.
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I assume some prosecutor in Florida is building a case on this guy? Maybe?
The good thing is, if the state charges him than trump can't pardon him, and DeSantis isn't risking his political future for a piece of shit like Gaetz.
It'd take a HUGE public outcry in Florida. Right wing tends to wear blinders when it comes to right winger's crimes.
Seems like the apparent lack of interest from the state would already be an issue for DeSantis going forward. If he runs for anything ever again, expect this to be used against him.
That's not how it works, De Santis can't order a prosecution, it is up to the prosecuting attorney in the district the crime was committed, and the prosecutor has discretion on filing charges. De Santis only roll would be a pardon upon conviction.
And the SOL expired
Clearly, people don’t care about how it actually works, or we wouldn’t keep hearing about how Biden has weaponized justice, and Trump wouldn’t keep promising retribution through all the people he’s going to prosecute. Someone will absolutely blame DeSantis. Whether that’s fair or not, will be irrelevant.
Not necessarily. There are often exceptions for sex crimes or when the victim is a minor. In such cases, the clock may not even start ticking until the victim is 18, or reports the crime.
I think this is probably the most significant thing I've read so far ( )
While there may not be enough to charge and convict him, he's still a skeezy slimeball and I expect karma will bite him in the ass soon enough. He's lost his cushy influence job and now has to work at a low rent news site.
I wonder if he's going to show up in Washington on Jan 3rd to take his seat in Congress. He's not given up the new seat and he did win re-election. His resignation was only for the past Congress from what I hear.
Does that mean he's innocent? No.
The DoJ dropped his case some time back and to my knowledge there is no local/state investigation currently being conducted, but that may change with his report.
They 'underage woman' won't testify. Gaetz ex partner might, but he's not a reliable witness. It's not against the law to show photos of naked women to your co-workers and the alleged drugs were used outside the country. I'm not sure there is enough to win a case.
The House Ethics Report has already done in his political career and his new employers don't care.
The same claims that even the weaponized Biden DOJ stepped away from?
wow.
What's the big deal, he sounds perfect for a Trump A G
Act like you know, he's gonna run for Rubio's seat....lol
No, he stated sometime ago that he was going to run for governor when DeSantis was term limited out.
Can't say I'm surprised. Unfortunately, it seems you need to have sex crimes under your belt to get a nomination from Trump.