Rep. Matt Gaetz participated in a House Judiciary Committee meeting in Washington, DC, in December 2019. Getyt Images
The House Ethics Committee released a report on Monday revealing disturbing findings about former Representative Matt Gaetz, including evidence that he paid for sex and drugs on multiple occasions. The committee concluded that Gaetz violated several House rules and Florida state laws, including statutory rape laws. This report marks a significant step for the committee, which made the rare move of releasing information about a former member who had already resigned from Congress.
The investigation, which spanned over several years, uncovered that Gaetz had paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex or drugs on at least 20 occasions. This included a disturbing incident in 2017 where Gaetz allegedly paid a 17-year-old girl for sex at a party. The committee's findings suggest Gaetz violated both House rules prohibiting prostitution and illicit drug use, and state laws against statutory rape.
Investigators also scrutinized several trips Gaetz took during his time in office. A 2018 trip to the Bahamas stood out, as it involved payments for sex and the use of illegal drugs, including ecstasy. The report stated that during this trip, Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with multiple women, one of whom said the trip itself was part of the payment for sex. Additionally, the committee found that Gaetz used platforms like PayPal and Venmo to send money to women involved in these activities.
The report further accused Gaetz of using drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy on several occasions. Witnesses testified that they saw him using these substances at parties and events. Gaetz’s involvement in the drug scene was linked to a separate investigation into his use of marijuana, including an attempt to use his House office to purchase it.
Despite the damaging findings, Gaetz denied the allegations. He filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the release of the report, arguing that the committee had not properly notified him or given him the chance to respond. The lawsuit claimed that the ethics committee's actions were procedurally flawed and violated his rights to due process.
The committee, however, proceeded with the release of its report and cited financial records and text messages that confirmed Gaetz's involvement in these illicit activities. One such message, involving Gaetz’s former girlfriend, suggested that she played a role in connecting Gaetz with women for sex in exchange for money.
Furthermore, the report revealed that Gaetz used his political connections to help a woman get a new passport, after having a sexual encounter with her. Investigators found that he used his influence to get her an appointment at a passport office, despite her not being a constituent of his district.
The report also sheds light on Gaetz’s relationship with Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole County tax collector now serving a prison sentence. Greenberg was reportedly involved in organizing some of Gaetz’s sexual encounters, including using a "sugar dating" website to find women for both Gaetz and himself.
Gaetz has continually denied any wrongdoing, claiming that any claims of sexual misconduct or illegal activities were false. However, the release of the House Ethics Committee's report provides substantial evidence of serious misconduct, leaving the political future of Gaetz in jeopardy.
