WASHINGTON – The House Ethics Committee released its report into allegations against Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, accusing him of “regularly” paying for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and purchasing and using illicit drugs all while the Florida Republican was a member of Congress.
Gaetz, who for a short time was President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the next attorney general, has denied all wrongdoing.
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You can read portions of the report in the media players below.
The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in from 2017 to 2020 while representing Florida’s western panhandle. The findings conclude that he violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office.
The report brings to a close a nearly five-year investigation into Gaetz, who spent the majority of his time in Washington enmeshed in scandals, which ultimately derailed his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump.
His political future is uncertain, although Gaetz indicated recently that he would be interested in running for the open Senate seat in Florida.
On Monday, Gaetz filed a lawsuit against the House Ethics Committee in a bid to stop it from releasing its findings, which he says contains “untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his “standing and reputation in the community.” Gaetz’s complaint argues he’s no longer under the committee’s jurisdiction since he resigned from Congress.
The long-anticipated release of the report comes after at least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the panel earlier this month in a secret vote to release the report about their former colleague despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress.
___ Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.