Matt Gaetz Goes on Damage Control Mode Following Ethics Report Blow

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What's New

Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz has denied allegations set to be detailed in a House Ethics Committee report, while also threatening to "expose" alleged sexual misconduct claims involving his former colleagues.

In a pair of statements released Wednesday, Gaetz said he never had sex with anyone under the age of 18, a claim that had been investigated by the House Ethics Committee. The panel voted on Wednesday to release its report on Gaetz.

Gaetz also suggested he could still get sworn into the 119th Congress and then file a privileged motion to "expose every 'me too' settlement paid using public funds (even those involving former members)."

Newsweek has contacted a spokesperson for Gaetz for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Gaetz resigned from office after he was tapped to become President-elect Donald Trump's next attorney general. He cited the "unfair distraction" caused by calls for the House Ethics Committee to release a report on its investigation into him.

The former congressman is now seemingly going on the defensive as the House Ethics Committee's potentially damaging report is expected to be released in the coming days.

What to Know

Gaetz has long denied all allegations investigated by the ethics panel, including claims of illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, and having sex with a 17-year-old girl while in office.

Gaetz was also under federal investigation by the Department of Justice for allegations that he had sex with a teenage girl and paid for her to travel with him, including across state lines for prostitution. No charges were brought against Gaetz, and he denies all allegations.

In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, following news of the upcoming release of the ethics report, Gaetz said that he "partied, womanized, drank, and smoked more than I should have earlier in life."

Gaetz added that he was "FULLY EXONERATED" of any criminal allegations, noting that he has "no opportunity to debate or rebut" the claims made in the ethics report now that he has resigned from the House.

"The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes. I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me," Gaetz said.

"Then, the very 'witnesses' DOJ deemed not credible were assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims absent any cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorneys. I've had no chance to ever confront any accusers. I've never been charged. I've never been sued. Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body.

"In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated—even some I never dated but who asked. I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court—which is why no such claim was ever made in court. My 30s were an era of working very hard—and playing hard too," he added.

"It's embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank, and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now."

In a follow-up statement, Gaetz posted that "someone suggested the following plan to me" in response to the ethics report being released.

"1. Show up 1/3/2025 to Congress. 2. Participate in Speaker election (I was elected to the 119th Congress, after all). 3. Take the oath. 4. File a privileged motion to expose every 'Me Too' settlement paid using public funds (even those involving former members). 5. Resign and start my OANN program at 9 p.m. EST on January 6, 2025."

Gaetz did not elaborate further on the "Me Too" settlements. In 2021, it was reported that the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights had paid more than $18 million to settle nearly 300 workplace disputes on Capitol Hill since 1997.

These payments were accused of being a "slush fund" for settling sexual harassment claims, though the money covers all sorts of settlement and dispute negotiations.

What People Are Saying

Matt Gaetz in a September letter to ethics committee: "Your correspondence of September 4 asks whether I have engaged in sexual activity with any individual under 18. The answer to this question is unequivocally NO. You can apply this response to every version of this question, in every forum."

Georgia GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X: "If Congress is going to release one ethics report, they should release them all. I want to see the Epstein list. I want to see the details of the slush fund for sexual misconduct by members of Congress and Senators. I want to see it all."

Darren J. Beattie, a former White House speechwriter in the Trump administration, posted on X: "The witch-hunt against Gaetz is pathetic, but instructive. The more effective you are on behalf of Trump's America First agenda, the harder the corrupt regime attacks you."

Rhode Island Democratic Congressman Seth Magaziner, speaking to CNN: "It's still very possible that President-elect Trump could appoint [Gaetz] to another sensitive position, perhaps even a law enforcement-related position that doesn't require Senate confirmation. And if the ethics committee feels that the evidence about Matt Gaetz's behavior is so damning and so concerning that they want to release it, I think that it should be released. The public has a right to know."