Politics
Former Congressman Faces Serious Misconduct Allegations

Clear Facts
- The House Ethics Committee has accused former Rep. Matt Gaetz of engaging in illegal activities, including statutory rape of a 17-year-old, drug use, and obstructing congressional investigations.
- Gaetz allegedly paid women for sex, used drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, and attempted to cover up his actions by not fully cooperating with the committee’s investigation.
- Despite the allegations, Gaetz denies any wrongdoing, claiming the payments were gifts to girlfriends and that the Department of Justice did not pursue criminal charges against him.
The House Ethics Committee has released a draft report accusing former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz of serious misconduct, including paying for sex with a minor, using illegal drugs, and obstructing congressional investigations. The report outlines a series of allegations against Gaetz, who resigned from his congressional seat in November.
According to the draft, Gaetz paid multiple women for sex, including a high school junior who was 17 at the time. The report states, “The Committee determined 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 favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”
The investigation uncovered details of Gaetz’s alleged drug-fueled parties with young women. These revelations were based on interviews with women and eyewitnesses. Gaetz is accused of refusing to fully cooperate with the ethics inquiry, including not complying with a subpoena for an interview and providing only partial written responses.
The report highlights Gaetz’s attempts to mislead the committee, stating, “Representative Gaetz clearly understood that he had acted contrary to House Rules by accepting private plane travel but chose to try to cover up his actions rather than comply with the Committee’s request.” It further accuses him of making false statements and obstructing Congress.
Despite these serious allegations, Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing. In an interview, he insisted that the payments to women were gifts to girlfriends from a “wilder, younger time” in his life. He emphasized that the Biden Justice Department reviewed the evidence and decided not to bring criminal charges against him.
Gaetz stated, “These were some women who I dated over the course of a decade, and had relationships with at various times and that I admittedly were generous to.” He also denied using illicit drugs and having sex with a minor, calling the allegations “manufactured” by noncredible witnesses.
The draft report also accuses Gaetz of two additional ethics violations. One involved using his official office to help a woman obtain a passport, falsely claiming she was a constituent in his district. The other involved accepting an inappropriate gift of travel related to a trip to the Bahamas.
The committee’s findings, though not yet final, have sparked controversy. A dissenting statement from Chairman Michael Guest criticized the decision to release the report, arguing it deviated from the committee’s established standards and could be seen as an attempt to weaponize the process.
While the draft report’s contents are salacious and damaging, Gaetz continues to maintain his innocence, claiming that the allegations are unfounded and that he has been unfairly targeted.
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