Ahead of the House Ethics Committee report on Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, the report was leaked to CNN, which reported on the allegations that Gaetz may have paid women and a 17-year-old for sex, and that he was a user of various illegal drugs while he served in Congress.
It’s unclear who leaked the report, but signs point to Democrat Rep. Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, who is the top Democrat on the committee and who was absent all last week during the committee meetings and decisions about whether to release the report and when. Wild was defeated for re-election by Republican Ryan Mackenzie in November.
The report says the committee found it probable that Gaetz used cocaine, ecstasy, and cannabis repeatedly between 2017 and 2020, at parties and at events. According to the allegations, Gaetz set up an email account to coordinate his marijuana purchases.
Gaetz has denied the allegations and did not cooperate with the Ethics Committee during its investigation, which started in 2021.
The entire report, including the entire history of the investigation and appendixes can be read at this House Ethics Committee link.
The report concludes:
From at least 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him.
- In 2017, Representative Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl.
- During the period 2017 to 2019, Representative Gaetz used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions.
- Representative Gaetz accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.
- In 2018, Representative Gaetz arranged for his Chief of Staff to assist a woman with whom he engaged in sexual activity in obtaining a passport, falsely indicating to the U.S. Department of State that she was a constituent.
- Representative Gaetz knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct the Committee’s investigation of his conduct.
- Representative Gaetz has acted in a manner that reflects discreditably upon the House.
Based on the above, the Committee concluded there was substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress.
The Committee did not find sufficient evidence to conclude that Representative Gaetz violated the federal sex trafficking statute. - Although Representative Gaetz did cause the transportation of women across state lines for purposes of commercial sex, the Committee did not find evidence that any of those women were under 18 at the time of travel, nor did the Committee find sufficient evidence to conclude that the commercial sex acts were induced by force, fraud, or coercion.
