Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican who briefly stood to turn out to be President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be legal professional normal, was discovered by congressional ethics investigators to have paid quite a few ladies — together with a 17-year-old woman — for intercourse, and to have bought and used unlawful medicine, together with from his Capitol Hill workplace, in line with a last draft of a complete investigative report obtained by CBS News.
Those have been among the many findings of the long-running investigation by the House Ethics Committee into Gaetz, which concluded the previous Florida congressman violated a number of state legal guidelines associated to sexual misconduct whereas in workplace.
“The Committee decided there may be substantial proof that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and different requirements of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible items, particular favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the 37-page report concludes.
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Gaetz resigned from Congress in November after Trump announced plans to appoint him for legal professional normal. But dealing with opposition from some fellow Republicans, Gaetz withdrew from consideration per week later. The release of the ethics report, anticipated Monday, brings to a detailed — a minimum of for now — Gaetz’s incendiary tenure on Capitol Hill, the place he turned one of the vocal and provocative members of the pro-Trump faction in Congress.
Gaetz has denied any improper conduct and asserted the claims have been a “smear” invented by his political enemies. The committee stated the congressman refused to sit down for sworn testimony, although he did submit written solutions to a few of the committee’s questions.
The report provides recent voice to allegations of misconduct which have circulated round Gaetz for years, regardless of his agency denials. It attracts on testimony from witnesses who instructed the committee they have been paid to have intercourse with Gaetz, textual content messages discussing the transactions, and Venmo and PayPal receipts.
Among the report’s most lurid findings have been the allegations of sex- and drug-fueled events and journey, together with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas the place witnesses say he took ecstasy and had intercourse with 4 ladies.
“From 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz made tens of hundreds of {dollars} in funds to ladies that the Committee decided have been possible in reference to sexual exercise and/or drug use,” famous the report, which lists funds totaling greater than $90,000 to 12 completely different ladies.
The committee stated it additionally obtained testimony that at a 2017 get together, Gaetz twice had intercourse with “Victim A.” who was 17 years outdated on the time and had simply accomplished her junior 12 months in highschool.
“Victim A recalled receiving $400 in money from Representative Gaetz that night, which she understood to be fee for intercourse,” the committee wrote. “Victim A stated that she didn’t inform Representative Gaetz that she was beneath 18 on the time, nor did he ask her age.”
In his written responses to the committee, Gaetz denied having intercourse with a minor. The Department of Justice previously investigated Gaetz for violating intercourse trafficking legal guidelines however didn’t convey costs. The committee stated it didn’t discover ample proof Gaetz violated the federal intercourse trafficking statute as a result of though he transported ladies throughout state traces for the aim of intercourse, these ladies have been all 18 or older on the time.
The report famous that whereas all the ladies who testified stated the sexual encounters with Gaetz have been consensual, one girl instructed the committee the usage of medicine on the events and occasions they attended might have “impair[ed their] capacity to actually know what was occurring or totally consent.”
Another girl instructed the committee, “When I look again on sure moments, I really feel violated.”
The report discovered “substantial proof” Gaetz engaged in rampant illicit drug use. The committee stated it obtained textual content messages he despatched the place he referred to medicine as “get together favors,” “rolls” or “nutritional vitamins.” It additionally stated he created a pretend electronic mail from his Capitol Hill workplace “for the aim of buying marijuana.” The report famous that Gaetz had denied utilizing illicit medicine in his written solutions to the committee.
In addition to sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, the report additionally accused Gaetz of accepting items of luxurious journey in extra of permissible limits with the 2018 journey to the Bahamas. And, it stated he organized for his chief of workers to help a lady with whom he had engaged in sexual exercise in acquiring a passport, falsely indicating to the State Department that she was one in every of his constituents.
Gaetz instructed conservative character Charlie Kirk final month that he plans to spend the approaching years “combating for President Trump.”
“I feel that eight years might be sufficient time within the United States Congress,” Gaetz stated, although final week, he floated in a submit on X the thought of returning to participate within the election for House speaker.
The House Ethics Committee had initially voted to maintain the report beneath wraps, however reversed course in a secret vote earlier this month. Two Republican members of the committee have been amongst those that voted for its launch, in line with two sources aware of the vote. The committee has 10 members, evenly break up between Republicans and Democrats.
