Matt Gaetz saved himself from being exposed by the House Ethics Committee report after resigning promptly from Congress on Wednesday, Nov. 20. But his deeds are out in the open anyway.
Matt Gaetz, a far-right Republican firebrand and legislator from Florida, has long been the subject of a congressional ethics subcommittee looking into a vile range of accusations, from sex scandals to bribery and drug usage. But in a shocking, yet hardly surprising development, it has now come to light that Gaetz’s abrupt resignation was likely a calculated move to shield himself from the fallout of a second sexual offense — involving the same woman who, at the time of the alleged incident, was just 17 years old, and had previously testified against him.
CNN reported on Thursday, Nov. 21, that sources familiar with the woman’s testimony have revealed that she had testified that there was a second sexual encounter, which has not previously been reported. The extent of Gaetz’s alleged wrongdoing has been intensified by this further testimony, and the explosive nature of the report seemingly forced Gaetz to withdraw from Congress, effectively shutting down the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into his actions.
Previously, The Department of Justice (DoJ) investigated the sexual misconduct allegations against Gaetz that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, and possibly violated federal sex trafficking laws by paying for her travels. Despite the gravity of these accusations, the DoJ closed its investigation last year without bringing any charges. Even after the Justice Department’s decision not to charge him, the secretive House Ethics Committee has investigated Gaetz over various allegations on and off since 2021.
The allegations against Gaetz included the claim that he had sex with an underage girl, used illicit drugs, accepted bribes, misused campaign funds, and shared inappropriate images on the House floor. But just when the investigation’s findings were about to be released, Gaetz resigned, which means the committee no longer has jurisdiction to investigate him.
Following Gaetz’s resignation, an attorney for the woman who was a minor when the alleged sexual contact occurred is calling for the House Ethics Committee to release its reports publicly “immediately.” The attorney stressed that there were witnesses to the incidents and that his client was still a high school student at the time of the crime.
The attorney for two additional women who testified in the committee’s probe, Joel Leppard, also claimed that one of his clients had directly witnessed Gaetz engaging in sexual activity with a minor. Leppard also called on the House Ethics Committee to release the report on Gaetz, emphasizing the importance of transparency. “Democracy demands transparency. Release the Gaetz Ethics report,” he said. (via CNN)
Meanwhile, Gaetz’s colleagues in the House Republicans are not very bitter about his resignation. Representative Max Miller, Republican of Ohio, revealed even before Gaetz’s departure that “Most people in there are giddy about it. Get him out of here.” (via The New York Times) He also revealed that “Mr. Trump had plenty of other good options for nominees, but probably went with Mr. Gaetz to reward his loyalty.” And what else can we expect from a convicted criminal himself? To think about the country? Maybe in another life.
