Matt Gaetz accused of paying women for sex using illegal drugs in House report

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., allegedly paid several women for sex, including a 17-year-old high school girl, and used illegal drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy, according to a House Ethics Committee report.

The 37-page report, released Monday morning, concluded that Gaetz violated several Florida state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office.

“The committee concluded that there was substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illegal drug use, acceptance of illegal gifts, provision of special services and privileges, and obstruction. of Congress,” the report states.

Gaetz has consistently denied any allegations of wrongdoing, and a previous federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against him. Earlier Monday, Gaetz filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the release of the report.

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Rep. Matt Gaetz at the Capitol Building in Washington, DC, on March 7, 2024, prior to President Biden’s State of the Union address. (Aaron Schwartz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The committee’s report stated that Gaetz “continuously sought to divert, deter, or mislead the committee to prevent his actions from being revealed.”

The report alleges that despite Gaetz’s denials, he made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women “probably related to sexual activity and/or drug use” from 2017 to 2020.

In one alleged sexual encounter, Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old minor at a summer party in 2017, according to the committee’s report. The report concluded that the act violated Florida’s statutory rape law, although the girl, identified in the report as “Victim A,” said she never told Gaetz her age.

“The committee received testimony that Victim A and Representative Gaetz had sex twice during the party, including at least once in the presence of other party attendees,” the draft report claims.

Rep. Matt Gaetz outside the US Capitol Building on September 29, 2023 in Washington, DC (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The 17-year-old girl claimed to have received $400 in cash from Gaetz “which she understood to be payment for sex,” according to the report. She said she was under the influence of ecstasy at the time of the sexual encounter, while she claimed she saw Gaetz use cocaine.

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The committee’s report stated that it received no evidence indicating that Gaetz was aware that the girl was a minor when he allegedly had sex with her.

The report also alleges that Gaetz refused to comply with a subpoena demanding an interview and “intentionally withheld information” about a trip to the Bahamas with women.

Gaetz resigned from Congress last month after President-elect Trump selected him to be his attorney general. Gaetz later dropped out of consideration for the post. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, File)

The committee said it had received text messages Gaetz allegedly sent to women asking them to bring drugs “to their venue,” referring to drugs such as “party favors,” “rolls” or “vitamins.”

In interviews with the committee, witnesses said they observed Gaetz using marijuana, the report said.

The House Ethics Committee’s multi-year investigation into Gaetz, involving allegations of minor sex and illegal drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after President-elect Trump chose him to be his general counsel.

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Gaetz later dropped out of consideration for the post amid quiet but steady GOP opposition.

The House Ethics Committee lost its jurisdiction to continue its investigation into the allegations against Gaetz after his resignation from Congress. While the committee “typically has not released its findings after losing jurisdiction in a case,” as noted in the report, a majority of committee members decided the findings should be released because they were in the public interest.

Gaetz had filed a lawsuit Monday in an attempt to block the release of the committee’s report.