New Ethics Probe Targets Gaetz for Obstruction, Favors

The House Ethics Committee announced on Tuesday that it is investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., for allegedly granting special privileges to friends and obstructing a government investigation into his actions. This comes a day after Gaetz claimed he was facing a new “frivolous” investigation. The committee clarified that it has closed investigations into allegations that Gaetz shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, or accepted bribes or improper gratuities. However, ongoing probes continue into whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, or accepted improper gifts, noting difficulty in obtaining information from him.

The House Ethics Committee issued a rare public statement to clarify the status of its long-standing investigation into Gaetz after he tweeted about the new investigations, predicting his eventual exoneration. Gaetz, who denies all accusations, suggested the probe was retaliation for his role in ousting former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. This investigation began in 2021, before McCarthy’s tenure as speaker, although McCarthy has alleged that Gaetz targeted him for not halting the ethics committee investigation.

In 2021, anonymous lawmakers told CNN that Gaetz had allegedly shared nude photos and videos of his sexual partners with fellow Congress members and openly bragged about his sex life. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., an ally of McCarthy, reiterated these allegations following McCarthy’s removal, adding that Gaetz also boasted about using erectile dysfunction medication and energy drinks to enhance his sexual performance, claims that Gaetz labeled as lies.

The House Ethics Committee’s investigation stems from a Justice Department probe initiated by Joel Greenberg, a former friend of Gaetz, who accused him of paying a minor to travel across state lines for sex. Greenberg pleaded guilty in 2020 to sex trafficking of a minor and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Gaetz’s office announced last year that the Justice Department had decided not to charge him with obstruction or sex trafficking. The Ethics Committee paused its investigation temporarily to avoid interfering with the Justice Department’s work, resuming in May last year. The committee has since interviewed over a dozen witnesses, issued 25 subpoenas, and reviewed thousands of pages of documents. They emphasized that the existence of an investigation does not imply any violation has occurred.

ABC News reported in April that a woman, who was interviewed by the committee, claimed to have attended a drug-fueled party with Gaetz and the underage girl he allegedly had sex with in the summer of 2017. The witness stated that the girl was naked at the party, where rooms were available for sex. A spokesperson for Gaetz denied these allegations to ABC, asserting that Gaetz has not used drugs during his time in Congress. Gaetz was also recently subpoenaed in a civil defamation lawsuit filed by former Florida state Rep. Chris Dorworth against Greenberg and the woman involved in the allegations.