Ethics report accuses Gaetz of breaking federal and state law
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Rep. Matt Gaetz at a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 2024. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images.
The House Ethics Committee on Monday released a long-awaited report that accuses former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) of violating House rules and federal and state law, including through sexual misconduct and drug use.
Why it matters: Gaetz has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, and a Justice Department investigation did not lead to any charges. But the report's allegations could hamper any future attempts by Gaetz to seek public office.
The big picture: After Gaetz resigned last month, the committee lost its jurisdiction to continue the investigation, sparking a fierce debate over whether the lawmakers could still release the report.
- Last week when it became clear that the committee would release the report, Gaetz acknowledged "embarrassing, though not criminal" behavior in his past, and blasted the panel's decision to make the report public.
- Gaetz filed a lawsuit against the Ethics Committee on Monday in federal court in an attempt to block the report's release, saying it "contains untruthful and defamatory information" that would "significantly damage Plaintiff's standing and reputation."
- Axios has reached out to Gaetz's lawyers, PAC and new employer, One America News Network, for comment.
Driving the news: The committee found "substantial evidence" that Gaetz "regularly" paid for sex between 2017 and 2020; had sex with a 17-year-old in 2017; and used cocaine and ecstasy on "multiple occasions" between 2017 and 2019, the report says.
- It also alleges that Gaetz accepted improper gifts, misused official resources and lied to the State Department to help a sexual partner obtain a passport, and obstructed the committee's investigation.
- The findings, the report says, are based on a review of nearly 14,000 documents and communications with more than two dozen witnesses.
- Axios obtained a draft of the committee's report in advance of its official release.
The intrigue: While a majority of the five Republicans and five Democrats on the panel voted to release the report, several opposed doing so.
- The committee initially voted against releasing the report earlier this month but changed course last week and voted to do so.
- Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) wrote a two-page dissent on behalf of the members who voted against publication, writing that while they do not challenge its findings, its release deviates from the panel's "well-established standards."
- Gaetz is joining OAN as a talk show anchor after withdrawing as President-elect Trump's nominee for attorney general.
What it says: The report cites witness interviews, text messages and financial transaction records that it says show Gaetz frequently paid for sex and drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy.
- Gaetz sent a total of at least $91,000 to a dozen women between 2017 and 2020, the report says, citing bank and payment app records.
- One of the women interviewed by the committee reportedly said: "Matt Gaetz paid me for sex, that was the extent of our interaction."
- A 17-year-old Gaetz is accused of having sex with at a party in 2017 told the panel she was "certain" of her sexual encounters with him, according to the report, which also cites witness testimony.
The other side: The report says Gaetz "categorically stated" to the committee that the allegations were "false."
- Asked by the panel if he had sex with a minor, Gaetz reportedly wrote in a Sept. 26 letter, "The answer to this question is unequivocally NO."
- The report details minimal cooperation from both Gaetz and the Justice Department.
- At one point, Gaetz told the panel that he would not comply with its July subpoena, stating that "[u]pon information and belief, the House will not take action to enforce" it, according to the report.
Zoom in: The report also accuses Gaetz of accepting improper gifts in the form of lodging, food and flights during a trip to the Bahamas in 2018.
- One woman from outside Gaetz's district with whom he had a sexual relationship testified that he connected her with his chief of staff, who helped her obtain an expedited passport, the report says.
- The report also alleges Gaetz obstructed the probe — missing deadlines to turn over information and providing "only a couple hundred records, more than 90 percent of which was either irrelevant or publicly available."
Between the lines: While the report says it "did not obtain substantial evidence" that Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws, it alleges he violated state laws prohibiting prostitution and sex with a minor.
- It also accuses Gaetz of violating federal laws against obstruction and making false statements to Congress, in addition to numerous alleged violations of House rules and government ethics guidelines.
- "Representative Gaetz has acted in a manner that reflects discreditably upon the House," it says.
What we're hearing: The vote split Republicans on the committee 3-2, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
- Guest and Reps. Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.) and John Rutherford (R-Fla.) voted against releasing it, arguing that the committee lost jurisdiction when Gaetz resigned, the sources said.
- But Reps. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) and Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) crossed over and voted with Democrats to release the report.
- Guest confirmed in a statement he "did not vote to support the release of the report." Spokespeople for Fischbach and Joyce declined to comment, while spokespeople for Garbarino and Rutherford did not respond to requests for comment.
Go deeper: How the Matt Gaetz ethics report finally came out
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
