What's New
Former Representative Matt Gaetz responded to the House Ethics Committee report released on Monday in a series of posts to X (Twitter).
Why It Matters
The report sheds new light on accusations that have followed the Florida Republican for years. The allegations could hinder any future political moves by Gaetz, even though he has denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged.
Gaetz has been a favorite among conservative voters as well as a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, who nominated him to lead the Justice Department as attorney general. Gaetz later withdrew from consideration.
What To Know
The committee wrote that it found "substantial evidence" that Gaetz allegedly "regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him," in 2017 "engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl," used or possessed illegal drugs and accepted gifts beyond what is "permissible," among the report's allegations.
Gaetz, in a series of social media posts, disputed the report.
"Giving funds to someone you are dating - that they didn't ask for - and that isn't 'charged' for sex is now prostitution?!? There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses," Gaetz wrote.
He also shared alleged testimony from one witness saying that she "never charged anyone anything."
The committee, however, said it identified at least 20 instances from 2017 to 2020 when Gaetz allegedly paid for sex and drugs. It noted that Gaetz "did not appear to have negotiated specific payment amounts prior to engaging in sexual activity with the women he paid." Rather, the women said there was a "general expectation" that they would receive payment, the report said.
The report cited evidence that included thousands of dollars from peer-to-peer payment platforms.
The committee wrote that it was not able to speak with every woman who received payments from Gaetz and that some said they "feared retaliation or were unwilling to voluntarily relive their interactions" with him, so it was "unable to determine the full extent" to which the payments were compensation for alleged sexual activity.
The report alleged that he had sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl he met at a party in July 2017. The report said that Gaetz allegedly paid her $400 but noted that the committee "did not receive any evidence indicating that Representative Gaetz was aware that Victim A was a minor when he had sex with her."
The committee voted to release the report last week after debating whether it has jurisdiction to release its findings on a former member of Congress.
Reached by Newsweek, a spokesperson for Gaetz cited his posts.
What People Are Saying
Matt Fuller, NOTUS Capitol Hill bureau chief, on X: "The Gaetz report is actually heartbreaking. As the committee noted, these were economically vulnerable women, paid small amounts of money, and all of them noted how impaired they were during these sexual encounters."
Representative Sean Casten, an Illinois Democrat, on CNN: "The House has to hold itself to a higher ethical standard if we're to have the trust of the American people. We pushed for the release of this report because we want to make sure the House continues to hold itself to that standard."
Ana Navarro-Cárdenas, co-host of The View, on X: "This report is beyond disturbing. It alleges criminal acts, including with a minor. And Gaetz is the guy Trump initially wanted to be his Attorney General. God help us."
What Happens Next
Gaetz has not made any public announcements about whether he intends to run for office in the future.
He resigned from Congress after Trump said he was nominating him as attorney general and has said he will not return to Congress in January.
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