Former US Congressman Matt Gaetz, who Donald Trump wanted to appoint as his next attorney general, the House Ethics Committee on Monday accused of regularly paying for sexual services, including to an underage girl. It is said that you also during your time in Congress bought and used illegal drugs and accepted inappropriate gifts. TASR informs about it according to AP and AFP reports.
“The committee found that there was substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House rules and other standards of conductwhich prohibit prostitution, rape, use of illicit drugs, impermissible gifts, special benefits or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” it is written in a 37-page report, in which both Democratic and Republican congressmen participated.
Congressional investigators further found that Gaetz, 42, violated multiple Florida sexual misconduct laws, but they cleared him of federal suspicion violations of the law on sex trafficking. The report lists Gaetz’s payments totaling more than $90,000 to 12 women “probably in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use” in years 2017 to 2020.
In one case, it was allegedly about 17 year old girl who told the committee she had sex with Gaetz twice at a party in July 2017. Gaetz was said to have too sex with four women and took ecstasy during a trip to the Bahamas in 2018. All the women who testified said that sexual relations with Gaetz were voluntary, wrote the CBS station. In written responses to the committee, the ex-congressman denied that he should sexual intercourse with a minor.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied any allegations and he refers to the decision of the Ministry of Justice, which did not bring charges against him after a criminal investigation in 2023. The Ethics Committee is suing to blocked the publication of the conclusions of the nearly five-year-long investigation.
The committee initially over opposition from Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, ruled that will not publish the investigation report. At the beginning of December, however, five Democratic members were joined by at least one Republican and in a secret vote they voted for its publication. Gaetz resigned as congressman in November after like him Trump nominated for the post of Justice Minister. Trump finally chose him as a replacement Pam Bondi.
