Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., engaged in multiple instances of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use during his tenure in Congress from 2017 to 2020, the House Ethics Committee alleges in a report released Monday.
The 37-page report details Gaetz’s alleged involvement in activities such as participating in drug-fueled parties and vacations and paying for sex with women, one of whom was a 17-year-old girl at the time.
The investigation found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz violated several House rules and various state and federal laws, including those prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, and obstruction of Congress.
The report also alleges that Gaetz spent over $90,000 on 12 women, with payments potentially linked to sexual activities and drug use using PayPal or Venmo.
Gaetz has continued to deny the allegations. He resigned from Congress in November 2024 after being nominated by President-elect Donald Trump for the position of U.S. attorney general.
Gaetz later withdrew his nomination due to heightened media coverage and criticism and the ongoing investigation.
Gaetz had filed a lawsuit seeking to block the release of the report, claiming it contained “untruthful and defamatory information” and arguing that the committee lacked jurisdiction over him following his resignation.
Despite his resignation, the Ethics Committee still released the report, determining that it was in the public interest to publish. A majority vote within the committee supported the decision to publish the report findings.
Gaetz took to X to continue discussing the report released by the committee, posting that the DOJ had spent years reviewing the allegations. He stated that the same witnesses deemed not credible were “assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims absent any cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorney.”
He concluded the post with, “My 30s were an era of working very hard – and playing hard, too. 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.”
The report also highlights instances where Gaetz allegedly accepted impermissible gifts, such as transportation and lodging, during a 2018 trip to the Bahamas and allegedly misused his congressional position to obtain a passport for a woman with whom he was sexually involved, falsely representing her as a constituent.
While the Department of Justice had previously investigated Gaetz for potential sex trafficking violations and did not press charges, the Ethics Committee’s findings present a detailed account of alleged misconduct that could impact Gaetz’s future political aspirations.
Despite the controversies, Gaetz recently expressed interest in running for a U.S. Senate seat in Florida. “Many have asked which perch I will be fighting from next, and some of you throughout this conference have even given me a few suggestions,” Gaetz said at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest.
