Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free
Your guide to what the 2024 US elections mean for Washington and the world
Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s former U.S. attorney general, was accused by the House Ethics Committee of having sex with an underage girl, paying women for of sexual relations and using illegal drugs in an explosive report released Monday.
The panel found “substantial evidence” that the former Republican congressman violated not only House rules, but also state and federal laws.
“The Committee has determined that there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated the House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illegal drug use, unauthorized gifts, favors or special privileges and obstruction of Congress.” concluded the panel.
Gaetz has denied any wrongdoingand posted on X that he had not been charged with a crime after an earlier investigation into sexual misconduct by the Justice Department.
The controversial Florida Republican was chosen by Trump, the president-elect, to be his attorney general in mid-November. A few days later, Gaetz withdrew his name of consideration, saying his selection was “unfairly becoming a distraction from the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition,” referring to Trump’s choice for Vice President JD Vance.
Trump then chose former Florida state Attorney General Pam Bondi to replace Gaetz.
