'Sexual Misconduct Scandal' Gates, US House Report States "At Least 20 Payments Made... Significant Evidence of Prostitution"

The House Ethics Committee's report detailing past sexual misconduct investigations into former Congressman Matt Gaetz, who was nominated but voluntarily withdrew as the next U.S. Attorney General under the Donald Trump administration, has finally been released. The report includes "substantial evidence" that Gaetz violated House rules and state and federal laws by paying tens of thousands of dollars to women with whom he had sexual relations at least 20 times and by using illegal drugs. Meanwhile, Gaetz vehemently denies the allegations, calling them slanderous.

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According to the 37-page report released on the 23rd (local time), Gaetz regularly paid women, including a 17-year-old minor, for sexual relations from at least 2017 to 2020. More than 12 women were confirmed to have received direct money transfers from him via Venmo, PayPal, and other platforms. In 2017, when Gaetz was 35 years old, he also had sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl. The report noted that this constituted rape under Florida state law.

Additionally, the report revealed that Gaetz regularly used or possessed illegal drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy from 2017 to 2020. There is also evidence suggesting that he created a pseudonymous email account in his House office to purchase marijuana. Gaetz visited the Bahamas in 2018, where Ethics Committee investigators obtained testimony that he had sexual relations with multiple women and used ecstasy. One woman told the Ethics Committee that the Bahamas trip itself was a form of payment for sexual relations.

The report also contains indications that Gaetz’s side deliberately obstructed the investigation by concealing evidence and failing to provide proper responses during the Ethics Committee’s inquiry. The Republican-led House Ethics Committee concluded in the report that "there is substantial evidence that Gaetz violated House rules, as well as state and federal laws, including prohibitions on prostitution, statutory rape, illegal drug use, acceptance of gifts, and regulations related to privileges and immunities."

The report is the result of about three years of investigation, reviewing 14,000 documents and interviewing more than 20 individuals, including women suspected of involvement in prostitution. Although it was initially decided not to release the report, it was eventually made public amid ongoing controversy surrounding Gaetz. Local media outlets, including The New York Times (NYT), described the release of an Ethics Committee report on a former member as an unusual measure. Women interviewed by the House Ethics Committee regarding prostitution said their encounters with Gaetz were consensual, but some noted that a significant amount of drugs and alcohol was involved, making it difficult to understand what was happening. Others declined interviews due to fears of retaliation or a desire not to be involved again.

However, the report also states that the Ethics Committee did not find sufficient evidence that Gaetz violated federal prostitution laws. The Department of Justice also previously investigated Gaetz’s allegations but did not indict him.

Gaetz immediately pushed back. On the same day, he requested an emergency order from a federal court to block the release of the report, citing internal committee rules and constitutional due process rights. He also filed a defamation lawsuit, claiming the report was false. He has consistently denied all allegations against him.

Gaetz, a key figure in the Republican hardline conservative group ‘Freedom Caucus,’ was nominated on the 8th of last month as Attorney General for Trump’s second administration but voluntarily withdrew from the candidacy on the 21st amid allegations of sexual misconduct and illegal drug abuse. The controversy continued not only among Democrats but also within the Republican Party, making Senate confirmation unlikely. Earlier, local commentators criticized Gaetz’s sudden resignation from Congress immediately after his Attorney General nomination as a ploy to prevent the Ethics Committee report, which could negatively affect his Senate confirmation hearings, from being released.

On the same day, Gaetz posted on X (formerly Twitter), "Giving money to someone you are dating when they didn’t ask for it, and now that’s considered prostitution even though it wasn’t demanded as payment for sex?" He also claimed, "There is a reason this was announced the day before Christmas Eve without me having the opportunity to present evidence or rebut witnesses in court." In earlier posts, he said, "My 30s were a time of working very hard and partying hard at the same time," adding, "I am ashamed of partying excessively, chasing women, and using alcohol and cigarettes in my youth, but that is not a crime. I live a completely different life now."

Gaetz, who is scheduled to join the conservative One America News as an anchor starting in January, has recently expressed his intention to run for the U.S. Senate. At the America Fest 2024 held in Arizona the day before, he said, "Maybe I can run for (Marco) Rubio’s seat in the Senate." Rubio is expected to resign his Florida Senate seat upon becoming Secretary of State in the next administration. However, this has become more uncertain following the report’s release. The authority to appoint a successor before a new senator is elected lies with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.