A woman interviewed by the House Ethics Committee investigating misconduct by former Rep. Matt Gaetz said she feels "violated" when recalling a 2018 trip to the Bahamas she made with him.
The testimony is part of a damning investigation on Gaetz, which also found that the former lawmaker paid multiple women for sex, including a minor, refused to comply with a subpoena demanding an interview and intentionally withheld information from investigators.
Looking specifically at the trip, the document details interviews with witnesses who said Gaetz used ecstasy and had sex with four women. Those who testified said the encounters were consensual, but two added some nuance to their statements. One said the drug use at the parties might have "impair[ed their] ability to really know what was going on or fully consent," while the other said: "When I look back on certain moments, I feel violated."
The committee determined that 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."
Gaetz denied using unlawful drugs in his written answers to the committee, but the investigation also found that he created a fake email from his Capitol Hill office with the ultimate purpose of buying marijuana.
The investigation also found that Gaetz "made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women that the Committee determined were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use." It listed payments totaling over $90,000 to 12 different women.
The former lawmaker admitted to some of the conduct alleged in the report last week after news surfaced that the investigation would be published in a reversal of the initial decision to shelve it. However, he continued to deny having sexual relations with underage women.
The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes.
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) December 18, 2024
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…
"In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated - even some I never dated but who asked. I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court - which is why no such claim was ever made in court," Gaetz said in a publication on X last week, making reference to the absence of criminal convictions against him. The document does mention that Gaetz had sex with "Victim A," who at the moment was 17-years-old.
Gaetz resigned from Congress in November immediately after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him as attorney general and as the investigation was set to be released. However, he withdrew his name from consideration shortly after as opposition to his candidacy mounted.
Gaetz rejected returning to Congress, with his next known job being anchor at One America Network. He nonetheless might seek retaliation, saying on X he could expose settlements for sexual misconduct allegations funded by taxpayer dollars.
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