Matt Gaetz Reportedly Told Colleagues He Ousted McCarthy Over Ethics Probe

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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) reportedly told colleagues in private he initiated former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) ouster over the ongoing ethics investigation into him, according to The Daily Beast.

The House Ethics Committee is probing an allegation that Gaetz had sex with an underage girl. On Wednesday, CNN reported that the panel has reached out to the Department of Justice seeking materials from its investigation of the congressman. The DOJ closed its inquiry without filing charges.

The House investigation began in 2021 under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and continued under McCarthy, who has said Gaetz wanted him to shut it down. Gaetz has publicly denied this.

In October, Gaetz filed a motion to vacate the chair, which triggered a vote in the House on whether to remove McCarthy. Gaetz and seven other Republicans joined the Democrats in ejecting the speaker. The Florida lawmaker alleged McCarthy had broken an agreement the two made in January 2023 when Gaetz dropped his opposition to McCarthy’s elevation to the speakership on the 15th ballot.

The Daily Beast published a report on Thursday evening citing several Gaetz acquaintances, including one who showed the publication private correspondence from the lawmaker:

According to private correspondence reviewed by The Daily Beast, Gaetz indicated to a friend that his effort to undercut, isolate, and ultimately remove McCarthy was, indeed, payback for the ethics probe.

The Daily Beast reviewed these communications, but is not allowed to quote from them for fear that Gaetz would be able to identify the recipient. In fact, the source who provided the communications was so nervous about retribution that The Daily Beast isn’t allowed to say in what form the correspondence took place. Suffice to say, however, it’s clear from the communications that Gaetz’s targeting of McCarthy wasn’t borne out of his concern for reckless Washington spending.

In the communications, Gaetz singled out McCarthy individually for reviving an Ethics Committee probe against him, and he indicated that his animus toward McCarthy was over that investigation.

The report added that “other Republican congressional sources… also acknowledged his revenge motive behind closed doors.”

These accounts corroborate public statements by McCarthy, who claimed last year Gaetz had it in for him for not suppressing the investigation.