by Admin
Dec 25, 2024
Matt Gaetz, a former Republican and a former House of Representatives member who is also a key ally of President-elect Donald Trump, has been found guilty of breaking state law after the ethics committee found out he paid an underage girl for sex and use of a lot of drugs.
The former Florida representative whose nomination for the position of Attorney General was short-lived after he was accused of rape by several women in his past which prompted him to step down from the race while investigation commenced into the allegations.
The ethics committee’s full report indicated that Matt Gaetz violated several state laws while in office, the report said “The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,”
The report further revealed that “From 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women that the Committee determined were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use,”
“Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex,” the committee wrote. “Victim A said that she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age.”
The former congressman retired from Congress in November after he was nominated by President Donald Trump for the next Attorney General. Matt Gaetz’s nomination was met with stiff resistance from some of his fellow Republicans who questioned his integrity for the position.
Matt Gaetz however denied all the allegations against him and argued the claims were a “smear” invented by his political enemies.
The Ethics Committee said the congressman refused to sit for sworn testimony but rather submitted written answers to some of the committee’s questions.
The report gives fresh voice to allegations of misconduct that have circulated the Congressman for years, despite his firm denials of the allegation.
The conclusion of the Ethic Committee draws from the testimony of witnesses who told the committee they were paid to have sex with Gaetz, text messages discussing the transactions, and Venmo and PayPal receipts.
In his defense, the former congressman said “The Committee’s apparent intention to release its report after explicitly acknowledging it lacks jurisdiction over former members, its failure to follow constitutional notions of due process, and failure to adhere to its own procedural rules and precedent represents an unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections.”
However, Matt Gaetz has revealed that he is spending the next year fighting and supporting the success of the presidency of Donald Trump.