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By Nick Mordowanec
Staff Writer
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The House Ethics Committee is continuing to investigate Representative Matt Gaetz for allegations including that the Florida Republican "engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, 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."
Steps being taken by the committee and announced on Tuesday follow years-long allegations against Gaetz that began on April 9, 2021. Members reviewed allegations, including sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, that he shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift.
The Department of Justice deferred the committee's investigation to review whether Gaetz violated House rules, laws or other standards of conduct. In May 2023, after the DOJ withdrew its deferral request, the House Ethics Committee reauthorized its investigation.
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The committee said it "will take no further action at this time" on allegations pertaining to inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or whether he accepted a bribe or improper gratuity.
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A spokesperson for Gaetz referred Newsweek to the congressman's remarks made Monday on social media.
Gaetz, in a post on X, said the allegations are part of a smear campaign that began under former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
"The House Ethics Committee has closed four probes into me, which emerged from lies intended solely to smear me," Gaetz wrote. "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. 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."
Newsweek reached out to the House Ethics Committee via phone for comment.
In February 2023, the DOJ informed Gaetz that he would not face federal sex-trafficking charges over allegations that he was involved in recruiting women online for sex, including a 17-year-old girl who had her travel expenses paid. He was accused of then attempting to obstruct the course of justice.
In March of this year, McCarthy offered some advice to current House Speaker Mike Johnson in front of a crowd at a Republican conference: "The one advice I would give to the conference and to the speaker is: Do not be fearful of a motion to vacate. I do not think they could do it again. That was surely based on Matt Gaetz trying to stop an ethics complaint."
McCarthy, who was ousted by Gaetz and other Republican lawmakers in October 2023, later claimed to CBS News's Face the Nation that Gaetz told him to "do something illegal to stop the Ethics Committee from moving forward in an investigation that was started long before I became a speaker."
Update 06/18/24, 12:12 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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