The US House of Representatives Ethics Committee has found “substantial evidence” that former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz engaged in sex trafficking and paid for sex with a minor, as well as violating other state laws and congressional rules.
The investigation found that Matt Gaetz, Trumpʼs first pick for attorney general, paid women for sex at least 20 times, bought drugs, and in 2017, when he was 35, paid a 17-year-old girl for sex. Under Florida law, this is considered rape.
The ethics committee found that Gaetz regularly used illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, between 2017 and 2020 and may have created an email account under an alias in his office to purchase marijuana, violating state law and House ethics rules.
The Committee also believes that the former congressman "knowingly and intentionally" tried to obstruct the investigation — he did not appear in court, hid evidence, and lied.
The committee has been preparing its report for three years. Democrats had previously called for the House Ethics Committee report detailing the investigation into Gaetz to be released. Republicans had previously voted not to release the results of the investigation.
Gaetz denies all charges and effectively prevented the report from being released when he abruptly resigned from Congress after Trump picked him as his nominee for attorney general. But Gaetz soon withdrew his candidacy.
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