The House Ethics Committee has released a shocking 37-page report that shows former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz broke many rules and laws while serving in Congress. The report, released on Monday, reveals disturbing details about his behavior from 2017 to 2020.

The bipartisan committee found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz:

• Paid women for sex, including a 17-year-old girl
• Used illegal drugs while in Congress
• Broke House rules about gifts
• Tried to block the investigation

Between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz spent more than $90,000 on payments to twelve different women for sex and drugs. The committee discovered these payments through Venmo and PayPal records that showed a clear pattern of misconduct.

One of the most serious findings involves a 17-year-old victim who received $400 in cash from Gaetz after having sex with him at a party in 2017. The report states she did not tell Gaetz her age, and he never asked.

The investigation also found that Gaetz:

• Used cocaine and ecstasy at parties
• Created fake emails to buy marijuana from his office
• Accepted expensive gifts during a trip to the Bahamas
• Used his position to get special favors

This report ends a five-year investigation into Gaetz’s behavior. He recently resigned from Congress in November 2024 and dropped out of consideration for Trump’s attorney general position. While Gaetz denies all wrongdoing, the committee’s evidence paints a clear picture of serious misconduct by a former member of Congress.

Key Findings in Matt Gaetz Ethics Report

The House Ethics Committee has found clear proof that former Rep. Matt Gaetz broke many rules and laws. Here are the main things they discovered after looking at lots of evidence.

Sexual Misconduct

The report shows that Gaetz paid more than $90,000 to twelve different women for sex between 2017 and 2020. One of the most serious findings involves a 17-year-old girl who got $400 from Gaetz after having sex with him at a party in 2017.

The committee found that Gaetz:

• Used apps like Venmo and PayPal to send money to women
• Had sex with multiple women during a Bahamas trip
• Tried to hide these payments by calling them “tuition” or “school”

Drug Use and Parties

The investigation uncovered strong evidence that Gaetz:

• Used cocaine and ecstasy at various events
• Created fake emails to buy marijuana from his office
• Took drugs during a 2018 trip to the Bahamas
• Used illegal substances between 2017 and 2019

Breaking House Rules

The committee found that Gaetz broke rules by:

• Taking expensive gifts during trips
• Getting special favors for women he knew
• Using his staff to help arrange personal matters
• Lying to the State Department about helping someone get a passport

Blocking the Investigation

The report says Gaetz tried to stop the investigation by:

• Refusing to give sworn testimony
• Only answering some questions in writing
• Not being truthful about his actions
• Getting others to stay quiet

These findings led Gaetz to resign from Congress in November 2024, and he dropped out of being considered for Trump’s attorney general position. While Gaetz says he didn’t do anything wrong, the committee found lots of proof that he broke both state and federal laws.

Sexual Misconduct Details from Matt Gaetz Ethics Report

The House Ethics Committee found clear proof that Matt Gaetz paid many women for sex while he was in Congress. The evidence shows a pattern of payments and meetings that broke several laws.

Payments to Women

Between 2017 and 2020, Gaetz spent more than $90,000 on payments to twelve different women. He used:

• Venmo
• PayPal
• CashApp
• Cash payments

One woman told investigators that “99 percent of the time” she and Gaetz had sex when they met. The payments were often labeled as “tuition” or “school” to hide their real purpose.

Incident with 17-Year-Old

The most serious finding involves a high school student who was only 17 years old. In 2017:

• Gaetz had sex with her at a party
• He gave her $400 in cash
• She didn’t tell him her age
• He never asked how old she was

Payment Records

The committee found detailed evidence of payments:

• More than 20 different occasions
• Payments ranging from $400 to $5,000
• Text messages about payment arrangements
• Travel receipts and hotel records

Witness Statements

Many people came forward to tell investigators what they saw:

• Multiple women confirmed getting money for sex
• Gaetz’s former girlfriend helped arrange meetings
• Party guests saw him with different women
• Travel companions witnessed his behavior

Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector, helped Gaetz find women through a website called SeekingArrangement.com. The committee gathered text messages, payment records, and witness statements that showed how these meetings were set up.

Gaetz says he didn’t do anything wrong, but the evidence in the report tells a different story. The committee found enough proof to show he broke both state laws and House rules about proper behavior.

Drug Use and Misconduct

The House Ethics Committee found clear proof that Matt Gaetz regularly used illegal drugs while serving in Congress. Here are the main details about his drug-related violations.

Regular Drug Use The report shows that between 2017 and 2019, Gaetz:

• Used cocaine and ecstasy at many parties
• Smoked marijuana often
• Took drugs with women he paid for sex
• Used drugs during a trip to the Bahamas

Office Involvement Gaetz broke rules by using his Capitol Hill office for drug activities:

• Made a fake email account to buy marijuana
• Called drugs “party favors” and “vitamins” in messages
• Used his staff to help arrange drug purchases
• Lied to the committee about using drugs

Party Evidence Many witnesses saw Gaetz using drugs at parties:

• At least two women saw him use cocaine
• Multiple people watched him take ecstasy
• He mixed drugs and alcohol at events
• One party in 2017 involved drugs and the 17-year-old victim

Proof of Drug Use The committee found lots of evidence like:

• Text messages about buying drugs
• Witness statements from parties
• Records of drug payments
• Messages calling drugs “rolls” or “vitamins”

When asked about drugs, Gaetz told the committee he never used them. But the evidence shows otherwise, with many people seeing him use illegal substances at parties and events over several years.

The drug use often happened with other crimes, like paying for sex and breaking House rules. This pattern of behavior shows that Gaetz regularly broke both state laws and Congress rules while serving as a representative.

Money Trail in Matt Gaetz Ethics Report

Payment Amounts and Recipients

The House Ethics Committee found that Gaetz spent more than $90,000 on payments to twelve different women between 2017 and 2020. The payments ranged from $400 to $5,000 per meeting.

How Payments Were Made

Gaetz used several ways to send money:

• Venmo payments with notes like “tuition” or “school”
• PayPal transfers labeled as “being awesome”
• CashApp transactions
• Cash payments in person

One woman got more than $10,000 through 27 different Venmo payments between July 2017 and January 2019. The payments often had fake descriptions like “car deductible” or “refreshments” to hide their real purpose.

Timeline of Money Transfers

The committee found a clear pattern of payments:

• 2017: Payments started, including $400 to a 17-year-old
• 2018: Multiple payments during Bahamas trip
• 2019: Regular payments continued through January
• 2020: Final payments before investigation began

Special Transactions

Some notable payments include:

• A $750 check marked as “tuition reimbursement”
• Over $5,000 to one woman between 2018-2019
• Travel payments for women to visit New York
• Hotel and flight costs for the Bahamas trip

The committee found that these payments were part of a bigger pattern of breaking House rules and laws. Gaetz’s campaign also reported strange spending, with $1.2 million listed as payment processing fees, which raised more questions about his money use.

Legal Trouble for Matt Gaetz

The House Ethics Committee found that Matt Gaetz broke many laws and rules. Here’s what they say he did wrong:

Breaking State Laws

• Paid for sex in Florida, where it’s illegal
• Had sex with a 17-year-old, which is statutory rape
• Used and bought illegal drugs

Breaking House Rules

• Took gifts worth too much money
• Used his job to help women he knew
• Lied to the State Department
• Tried to stop the investigation

The committee says there’s “substantial evidence” that Gaetz did all these things. This means they have a lot of proof.

Why It Matters Breaking these laws and rules is very serious for someone in Congress. It shows that Gaetz:

• Didn’t follow the laws he helped make
• Used his power in wrong ways
• Put himself in danger of being arrested

Even though Gaetz left Congress, he could still get in trouble with the law. The report gives details that police might use to look into him more.

Gaetz says he didn’t do anything wrong. But the committee found lots of proof that he broke both Florida laws and rules for people in Congress. This could mean big problems for him, even though he’s not in Congress anymore.