House investigates Matt Gaetz for "inappropriate sexual conduct and illicit drug use"

The House Ethics Committee is investigating Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) after he was accused of engaging in several serious offenses such as inappropriate sexual behavior, drug use, and accepting inappropriate gifts.

"Committee is reviewing allegations pursuant to Committee Rules that Representative Gaetz may have: engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct. The Committee will take no further action at this time on the allegations that he may have shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe or improper gratuity," wrote the committee chairman, Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), and the rest of the members in a letter.

Press Release by alejandro.banos

The House Ethics Committee’s investigation into Gaetz began in April 2021. However, that investigation had to be postponed "in response to a request from the Department of Justice (DOJ)," the committee stated.

Two years later, the investigation was resumed, after the DOJ "withdrew its deferral request."

As reflected in its letter, the committee stated that it "has spoken with more than a dozen witnesses, issued 25 subpoenas and reviewed thousands of pages of documents," all related to the accusations against Gaetz.

Gaetz: "This is Soviet"

Gaetz responded to the allegations. He said “this is Soviet" to describe the Ethics Committee’s decision to continue investigating him after the DOJ withdrew its request for a postponement:

Furthermore, Gaetz accused Kevin McCarthy of being behind this investigation as part of his revenge for having led the motion to remove him as speaker.