Matt Gaetz's history of drinking, partying, and womanizing, catches up with him as House ethics report shines unflattering light on his bad habits

Matt Gaetz: Crimes and Misdemeanors (AP)

 

An ethics investigation found that former Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) made payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex and drugs on at least 20 occasions. It also found evidence that he paid for sex with a minor, according to a report at The Guardian. Robert Tait and Joseph Gedeon write:

A House ethics committee report on Matt Gaetz, the former Florida Republican congressman, found “substantial evidence” that he paid for sex with a minor, among other serious violations of state law and congressional rules.

The investigation concludes that Gaetz, Trump’s first pick for attorney general, made payments totaling tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex and drugs across at least 20 separate occasions. The report also states that in 2017 Gaetz paid a 17-year-old girl for sex when he was 35 years old, which would constitute statutory rape under Florida law.

“The committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the Republican-led panel wrote in the investigation.

What punishment, if any, might be imposed against Gaetz? That was not immediately clear, but here is how Newsweek addressed the issue:

Legal experts have told Newsweek that former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz could be charged with taking drugs and having sex with a minor.

It follows a House Ethics Committee report alleging that the Republican potentially committed crimes, including statutory rape.

Statutory rape occurs when a person is too young to legally give consent to sex.

Several lawyers who spoke to Newsweek said that Gaetz could be charged. However, they said senior Republicans will likely block any investigation and prevent charges from being brought forward.

Los Angeles-based attorney, John J. Perlstein, told Newsweek that it would be legally permissible to prosecute Gaetz.

"It is possible for Matt Gaetz to still face criminal charges, as there don't appear to be statute of limitations issues for the relevant charges," Perlstein said. "However, the decision to bring charges lies with the two sovereignties involved: the state of Florida and the U.S. federal government."

"Given the affiliations of those in leadership—Trump's influence over the federal level and Ron DeSantis at the state level—it seems unlikely that charges would ever be pursued," he said.

Former federal prosecutor, Neama Rahmani, agreed that political pressure will likely prevent a prosecution.

"It's possible, but not likely that Gaetz faces criminal charges. We've seen indictments result from a Congressional investigation recently, that being the January 6 committee," he told Newsweek.

"But a prosecution requires a prosecutor who is willing to pursue the case. I don't think Trump's Attorney General or appointed U.S. Attorneys will do so.

"And Florida is a red state, so I don't think the Florida Attorney General or county prosecutors will file this case."

"If we see criminal charges, the most serious would be sex with minors. Not knowing the minor was underage is not a defense," he said.

Gaetz may still have a political career within the Republican Party.

He told a Turning Point USA event in Arizona on Sunday that he could be a candidate in the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election or run for the soon-to-be-vacant Florida U.S. Senate seat of Marco Rubio, Trump's nominee for U.S. secretary of state.

In short, legal experts look for Trump, DeSantis, the GOP, and squishy prosecutors to provide cover for Gaetz, even though the evidence against him appears to be overwhelming. And Gaetz could wind up right back in Congress? Sheesh, so much for Republicans' "tough-on-crime" stance. 

My guess is that many folks in the public, once they become aware of how this case might play out, will be none too pleased, meaning Matt Gaetz and his sleazy past could become a political albatross for the GOP. The allegations paint a grim picture:

The committee said it did not find sufficient evidence to conclude that Gaetz violated the federal sex trafficking statute. It said there was evidence he paid women to travel across state lines to New York and Washington, DC for commercial sex but that the women were over 18 and that, while there was an “exploitative power imbalance” in the relationship, the committee did not have reason to believe Gaetz used force, fraud, or coercion.

According to the report, Gaetz used payment apps, including Venmo and PayPal, to transfer money directly to more than a dozen women during his time in Congress.

The committee determined that Gaetz regularly used illegal drugs including cocaine and ecstasy between 2017-2020, and appears to have set up a pseudonymous email account from his House office to purchase marijuana, violating both state laws and House ethics rules.

The committee believes that Gaetz “knowingly and willfully” attempted to obstruct the investigation, including failing to comply with subpoenas, withholding evidence, providing misleading responses, and making false public statements about “voluminous documentary evidence” that he never actually produced.

Investigators also highlighted a 2018 trip to the Bahamas where Gaetz allegedly “engaged in sexual activity” with multiple women. One woman told the committee that the trip itself served as “payment” for sexual services. The same witness reported that Gaetz took ecstasy during the Bahamas visit, which investigators determined violated House gift rules.

The Gaetz legal team fought hard to keep the report from seeing the light of day, arguing in a new lawsuit on Monday morning: “If publicly released, it would significantly damage plaintiff’s standing and reputation in the community. It “would be immediate, severe and irreversible.” Gaetz has long maintained his innocence.The report comes after a more than three-year investigation and represents a reversal following an earlier committee vote not to issue the results of an inquiry it began in the spring of 2021, when Gaetz was the subject of an FBI investigation.

Its leak came nearly a month after Gaetz withdrew his nomination to be Trump’s attorney general amid a fierce backlash, partly fueled by speculation over what the report might contain. How did all of this come crumbling down on Gaetz, who once seemed to have a promising political future? Tait and Gedeon report that it seems to be a case of self-immolation. The House inquiry – triggered after the justice department launched a separate criminal investigation into Gaetz that was later dropped without charge – was instigated to look into a broad range of accusations.

These included allegations that he engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds for personal use and accepted gifts in breach of House rules.

Gaetz, who has denied all the allegations, in effect forestalled the report’s release by abruptly resigning from Congress last month after Trump nominated him as his attorney general in a decision that drew fierce bipartisan condemnation.

However, its contents became a subject of intense speculation as both Republican and Democratic senators voiced serious misgivings about Gaetz’s suitability to preside over America’s vast federal judicial and law enforcement structure.

Some critics accused Gaetz, a far-right representative from Florida, of resigning prematurely – long before the Senate had the chance to confirm or reject his nomination – with the purpose of preventing publication of the report, knowing its contents were likely to be damaging. Gaetz spoke out bitterly against the committee's actions. The ethics committee originally voted along party lines against releasing the document, even as some senators demanded to see it in advance of Senate confirmation hearings that had been due to be held early next year. The Republican speaker, Mike Johnson – a close ally of Trump – vocally opposed releasing the report.

The change of heart is notable given that Gaetz later said he would not attempt to return to Congress after withdrawing his nomination:

Gaetz angrily condemned the committee’s revised decision – first reported by CNN – in a vitriolic social media post on Wednesday, pointing out that he was never criminally charged.

“The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes,” he wrote.

“I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me.

“Then, the very ‘witnesses’ DOJ deemed not credible were assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims absent any cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorneys. I’ve had no chance to ever confront any accusers. I’ve never been charged. I’ve never been sued.

“Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body.”

He described his 30s – his age range when the alleged misconduct occurred – as a time of “working very hard – and playing hard too”.

“It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life.”

But in a pointed jab at the House’s current ructions over a continuing resolution (CR) bill on public spending aimed at keeping the government open, he concluded: “At least I didn’t vote for CR’s that f--k over the country!”

The full Gaetz report can be read at this link.