The highly anticipated House Ethics Committee report about former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has been leaked following an announcement that it would be released to the public on Monday.
The investigation found substantial evidence of alleged statutory rape, solicitation of prostitution, drug use, and other ethical violations. The report alleges that Gaetz paid women, including a 17-year-old girl, for sex and was a frequent user of illicit drugs while serving in Congress.
Investigators claim Gaetz had sexual relations with the teenage girl at a party in July 2017 at a Florida lobbyist’s home who “recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex,” CNN reported after obtaining the leaked document.
The report notes that Gaetz “was unaware that [the teenage girl] was underage ‘until more than a month after their first sexual encounters,” Politico noted.
Gaetz reportedly had sex with the girl twice at the party. One of these instances occurred in front of other party attendees.
The committee indicated it found evidence that Gaetz used cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana on several occasions between 2017 and 2019. Several witnesses claimed they saw him using these drugs at parties and events. The former lawmaker went so far as to set up a fake email in his House office to buy pot. “At least two women saw Representative Gaetz using cocaine and ecstasy at different events,” Politico reported.
