The investigation by the House Ethics Committee into Matt Gaetz revealed that he allegedly engaged in sexual acts with a 17-year-old and used illegal substances while serving in office, as per a report.
According to CBS News, which has acquired a final draft of the report, investigators found that the former Congressman from Florida—who is accused of compensating several women for sex—broke a number of state laws regarding sexual misconduct while in his role. The House committee is anticipated to unveil the complete report on Monday.
Gaetz, who stepped back from being considered for the position of Attorney General under President-elect Donald Trump due to the serious nature of the allegations against him, has continuously denied any misconduct and has yet to face criminal charges tied to these allegations. The Daily Beast has reached out to Gaetz for his response.
In a tweet from last week, Gaetz reiterated his denial of certain claims, stating that he “NEVER had sexual contact with anyone under 18.” He further expressed his dissatisfaction that the House Ethics report would be made public without providing him a chance to “debate or rebut” its conclusions.
“The Committee found substantial evidence indicating that Representative Gaetz breached House Rules and other conduct standards against prostitution, statutory rape, illegal drug use, unauthorized gifts, undue favors or privileges, and interference with Congress,” the report states, as per CBS News.
The investigation reportedly did not yield enough evidence to support a conclusion that Gaetz broke the federal sex trafficking law because although he allegedly transported women across state lines for sexual purposes, all individuals involved were over 18 at that time.
The inquiry utilized testimonies from the involved women, in addition to Venmo and PayPal payment records that they assert were for sexual services.
“Between 2017 and 2020, Representative Gaetz made numerous payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars to women that the Committee concluded were likely related to sexual activities and/or drug consumption,” the report indicates, noting over $90,000 in payments made to a dozen women, according to CBS News.
It was reported that during a 2017 event, Gaetz allegedly engaged in sexual relations twice with a 17-year-old girl, identified in the report as “Victim A,” who had just finished her junior year of high school. She recounted to the committee that she did not disclose her age to Gaetz, nor did he inquire about it. The report stated that she was given $400 that night, which she interpreted as compensation for sex, according to CBS News.
Gaetz refuted the claim of having sexual encounters with a minor in his written response to the committee. He also denied the usage of any illegal drugs, as CBS noted, even though investigators reported having “substantial evidence” that countered his statements.
The committee mentioned having seen text messages where the former congressman referred to drugs as “party favors,” “vitamins,” or “rolls,” and the report accused him of creating a fake email account from his Capitol Hill office “for the purpose of obtaining marijuana.”
Commenting on the forthcoming report’s release last week, Gaetz stated: “My 30’s were a time of hard work – and hard partying too. It’s somewhat embarrassing, albeit not illegal, that I likely engaged in excessive partying, womanizing, drinking, and smoking in my younger years. I live a different lifestyle now.”
All women who provided testimony affirmed that their interactions with Gaetz were consensual. However, one individual expressed concern that drugs may have “impair[ed their] ability to accurately comprehend the situation or fully consent,” as per the report from CBS.
“Upon reflection on certain experiences, I feel violated,” another woman reportedly stated to the committee.
Witnesses recounted a trip to the Bahamas in 2018 where Gaetz reportedly consumed ecstasy and had sexual relations with four women. The trip was further characterized as an extravagant excursion that surpassed acceptable limits.
Moreover, Gaetz allegedly coordinated with his chief of staff to assist a woman with whom he had purportedly engaged in sexual relations in obtaining a passport, following an alleged false claim that she was one of his constituents to the State Department.
