Rep. Matt Gaetz Blames Kevin McCarthy For House Ethics Committee Investigation Into Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct & Drug Use

The House Ethics Committee disclosed that it is proceeding with its investigation into several allegations against controversial Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), including for sexual misconduct and illegal drug use.

It said in the statement that there was a “significant and unusual amount of public reporting on the Committee’s activities this Congress,” adding that “much of that reporting has been inaccurate.” 

The panel did not reveal which accusations against Gaetz it is investigating and which have been dropped. 

After speaking with more than a dozen witnesses and reviewing thousands of pages of documents, the committee declared that some allegations merit further analysis and “identified additional allegations.” 

In their statement, the panel recognized “the difficulty in obtaining relevant information from Representative Gaetz and others.” 

It also stated that it is examining if the Florida representative “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.”

It mentioned that it would not take any action regarding accusations that he “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.”

At least four women told the panel in recent months that they were paid to go to parties in which sex and drug use took place that Gaetz attended. 

At least one of those women said she had sexual relations with him, and Justice Department prosecutors were previously investigating if she was underage when the sexual relationship started. 

The committee highlighted that the existence of an investigation does not indicate that violations of federal law occurred.

Gaetz denied all allegations of wrongdoing. 

“The House Ethics Committee has closed four probes into me, which emerged from lies intended solely to smear me,” he wrote in an X post. “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.”

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

In late March, McCarthy told a reporter that Gaetz was dishonest about who he sleeps with, a reference to the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into whether or not he had sexual relations with a 17-year-old girl while serving in Congress.

In April, the former House speaker claimed that Gaetz ousted him since the representative wanted to cease the ethics investigation over his alleged affair with the young woman.