The House Ethics Committee first launched an investigation into then-Rep. Matt Gaetz more than three years ago, and members of the panel publicly acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations surrounding the Florida Republican. However, it was an open question whether the public would ever see the study’s findings.
Gaetz was not subtle in his efforts to keep the information under wraps. Last month, for example, Gaetz quickly resigned from Congress, prompting speculation that he ran in hopes of short-circuiting the ethics process. Shortly thereafter, Republicans in the House of Representatives rejected an effort by Democrats to bring the findings to light, and Floridians likely breathed a sigh of relief.
If so, it was premature. NBC News reported last week that members of the House Ethics Committee had voted to make their report on Gaetz public. It marked a reversal from last month, when the same panel, evenly divided among Democrats and Republicans, was deadlocked over whether to release its findings.
The Floridian tried, but failed, to obtain a restraining order to stop the publication of the committee report, and shortly thereafter the expected document reached the public. My MSNBC colleagues Hayley Miller and Clarissa-Jan Lim reported:
The House Ethics Committee found that then-Rep. Matt Gaetz bought illegal drugs, paid multiple women for sex and had sex with a 17-year-old while serving in Congress, according to a final version of the committee’s report released Monday. The committee found “substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illegal drug use, accepting impermissible gifts, granting special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress prohibit’. ,” the report said.
MSNBC has published the entire 42-page document online, and it paints a rather brutal picture of a Republican who “regularly” paid women for sex during his tenure on Capitol Hill. The same report accuses Gaetz of using or possessing illegal drugs, including cocaine; accepting inappropriate gifts; and helping a woman he had sex with obtain an expedited passport.
Ahead of this outcome, the Floridian, who has long denied any wrongdoing, issued a written statement last week admitting that he “probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have” when he was younger. and added: “In my single days, I often sent money to women I dated – even some I never dated but who asked for it.”
Nevertheless, he insisted that he had never had “sexual contact” with minors and that the federal criminal investigation he faced had not resulted in any charges.
What happens now? There are a few questions hanging over our heads.
1. Did Donald Trump not know or care about this? In case anyone forgot, last month the newly elected president announced his intention to appoint Gaetz to head the Justice Department as the nation’s next attorney general. The result was a fiasco – Gaetz withdrew from treatment after just eight days – and evidence of a chaotic transition process.
But in light of the new allegations, Trump’s decision is even harder to defend: He chose Gaetz as the nation’s top law enforcement official despite the House Ethics Committee’s investigation. Did the president-elect know nothing about the investigation and the possibility of brutal findings, or did he simply not care?
2. Will Gaetz get revenge? Last week, the former Republican congressman suggested in an online statement that he was willing to take steps to expose “any ‘me too’ settlements” paid by members of Congress. It is not yet clear how or if Gaetz will follow through, and whether any lawmakers have reason to be concerned about such revelations.
3. Will the House Ethics Committee report derail Gaetz’s future ambitions? The day before the panel’s findings reached the public, the Florida Republican, who will host a show on One America Now next month, spoke at a conservative event and said he is looking forward to a bid for statewide office in 2026. Trump spoke on the same day. meeting and said Gaetz still has “a great career” ahead of him.
In theory, given the scandalous allegations surrounding the former congressman, it’s hard to imagine Gaetz launching a successful campaign for governor or senator. In practice, Florida has shrugged off unrelated scandals involving Trump and Republican Sen. Rick Scott — over multiple election cycles — so it seems difficult to rule out the possibility.
4. Why did House Speaker Mike Johnson try to hide the Ethics Committee report from the public? While the ethics panel has traditionally operated independently, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters in mid-November that he would “strongly request” that the committee keep its findings secret. The Louisiana Republican added that he was concerned about setting “a terrible precedent” by releasing a report on a former member of Congress.
In reality, however, Congress has already released ethics reports on former members — both in the House of Representatives and the Senate — raising questions about why the sitting House Speaker was so adamant about protecting Gaetz.
All things considered, there is no reason to believe that the release of the House Ethics Committee’s findings will necessarily end the larger controversy.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
