WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The House Ethics Committee on Monday accused Matt Gaetz of 鈥渞egularly鈥� paying women, including a 17-year-old girl, for sex and purchasing and using illicit drugs all while the Florida Republican was a member of Congress.
The 37-page report by the bipartisan panel includes explicit details of sex-filled parties and vacations that Gaetz, now 42, took part in while representing Florida's western panhandle. The findings conclude that he violated multiple state laws related to sexual misconduct while in office.
鈥淭he 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,鈥� the report states.
The report brings to a close a nearly five-year investigation into Gaetz. Its release comes after at least one Republican joined all five Democrats on the panel earlier this month in a secret vote to release the report about their former colleague despite initial opposition from GOP lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to publishing findings about a former member of Congress.
While ethics reports have previously been released after a member鈥檚 resignation, it is extremely rare. Gaetz has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing, saying last week that he would have 鈥渘o opportunity to debate or rebut鈥� the findings as a former member of the House.
On Monday, Gaetz seeking to block the report鈥檚 release, saying it contains 鈥渦ntruthful and defamatory information鈥� that would 鈥渟ignificantly damage鈥� his 鈥渟tanding and reputation in the community.鈥� Gaetz鈥檚 complaint argues he鈥檚 no longer under the committee鈥檚 jurisdiction since he resigned from Congress.
鈥淭he Committee鈥檚 position that it may nonetheless publish potentially defamatory findings about a private citizen over whom it claims no jurisdiction represents an unprecedented expansion of Congressional power that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections,鈥� Gaetz鈥檚 lawyers wrote in their request for a temporary restraining order.
The often secretive, bipartisan panel has investigated claims against Gaetz since 2021. However, its work became more urgent last month when President-elect Donald Trump picked Gaetz as his attorney general nominee. Gaetz resigned from Congress that same day, putting him outside the purview of the Ethics Committee's jurisdiction.
But Democrats had pressed to make the report public even after Gaetz was no longer a member and had to lead the Justice Department. A vote on the House floor this month to force the report鈥檚 release failed; all but one Republican voted against it.
___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.
Farnoush Amiri, The Associated Press
