House Ethics Committee Probing Allegations of ‘Sexual Misconduct’ and ‘Drug Use’ Against Matt Gaetz

Zachary LeemanJun 18th, 2024, 11:08 am
 
Matt Gaetz

(Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)

The House Ethics Committee on Monday said they are probing allegations of sexual misconduct and more against Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL).

The committee first announced a review of allegations against Gaetz in 2021, but the matter was deferred at the request of the Department of Justice. This deferment request was later withdrawn in 2023. The committee announced they’ve spoken to more than a dozen witnesses and issued more than 20 subpoenas in the Gaetz matter.

According to the statement, the Ethics Committee is probing allegations of “sexual misconduct and illicit drug use,” as well as accusations that Gaetz “accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.”

They also announced they are dropping a previous probe into allegations the congressman “may have shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe or improper gratuity.”

Gaetz has long denied allegations of wrongdoing and in a Monday post to X, he referred to the probe as “frivolous” and “Soviet.”

“The House Ethics Committee has closed four probes into me, which emerged from lies intended solely to smear me. Instead of working with me to ban Congressional stock trading, the Ethics Committee is now opening new frivolous investigations. They are doing this to avoid the obvious fact that every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration,” he wrote.

Gaetz blamed “McCarthy and his goons” though former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is no longer in Congress. Gaetz was behind the push to oust McCarthy from his leadership role.

“This is Soviet. Kevin McCarthy showed them the man, and they are now trying to find the crime,” he wrote. “I work for Northwest Floridians who won’t be swayed by this nonsense and McCarthy and his goons know it.”

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Zachary Leeman

Zachary Leeman covered pop culture and politics at outlets such as Breitbart, LifeZette, BizPac Review, HollywoodinToto, and others. He is the author of the novel Nigh. He joined Mediaite in 2022.