Gaetz sues to block House Ethics sexual misconduct report

On December 24, 2024By Littum

WASHINGTON — Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz sued the House Ethics Committee Monday morning to try to block the release of its findings from a multiyear investigation into allegations that he had sex with a 17-year-old. However, the detailed report was published later on Monday.

Gaetz argued that the committee does not have the authority to release its report since he has resigned from Congress. He also said he would be “irreparably harmed” by its release because he had not had enough of a chance to challenge the investigation and the information could defame him.

The committee found evidence that Gaetz regularly paid women for sexual activity with him from at least 2017 to 2020, engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old in 2017, possessed illegal drugs including cocaine and ecstasy from 2017 to 2019, and attempted to prevent congressional investigation.

“The committee’s apparent intention to release its report after expressly acknowledging that it lacks jurisdiction over former members, its failure to adhere to constitutional notions of due process, and its failure to adhere to its own procedural rules and precedents represents an unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections,” according to the trial.

IN the reportthe committee acknowledged that it typically does not release findings after losing jurisdiction, but said it has done so a few times before after determining it was in the public interest.

“In this case, although several committee members objected, a majority of the committee members agreed that the committee’s findings should be made public,” according to the report.

The report cites “substantial evidence” that the former congressman, who recently withdrew his name as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, engaged in statutory rape, prostitution and illegal drug use.

It is not clear how the actual release of the report will affect Gaetz’s trial. Attorneys for Gaetz did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Jacob Bliss, a spokesman for Gaetz, sent USA TODAY to Gaetz’s X account, where the former congressman suggested he was accused of engaging in prostitution by giving unsolicited money to someone he was dating.

“There’s a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses,” Gaetz submitted.

In his lawsuit, which seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would have blocked the report’s release, Gaetz says the committee denied him access to the evidence it was gathering during the investigation and a “meaningful opportunity” to respond on specific claims.

Gaetz “was uncooperative throughout the committee’s review,” according to the report. It says he provided “minimal documentation” in response to committee requests, did not agree to a voluntary interview and failed to appear for testimony after receiving a subpoena.

“When faced with serious public allegations against a member, the committee will often investigate them and, when such allegations are false, the committee has a common goal with the respondent to refute those allegations,” according to the report.

Gaetz filed his suit in Washington, DC’s federal district court.