Accordingly, the Ethics Committee of the US House of Representatives sees sufficient evidence that Gaetz violated rules of conduct that prohibit “prostitution, rape, illegal drug use, accepting gifts and benefits, and obstruction of Congress.” According to the committee, the now 42-year-old paid twelve women a total of more than 90,000 dollars (around 87,000 euros) between 2017 and 2020 “presumably in connection with sexual activities and/or drug use.”
Several witnesses told US congressional investigators that they were paid for sex by Gaetz and a friend at various events. A woman told investigators that in July 2017, when she was 17, she had sexual intercourse twice with the then-congressman on the sidelines of a party and received $400 in cash from him.
In November, Gaetz announced his resignation from the post of attorney general, for which Trump had nominated him. The nomination of the staunch Trump supporter as Minister of Justice attracted strong criticism from day one. In addition to his inexperience, the reason for this was the allegations that had been made against him for years.
A few days ago, Gaetz denied any suspicion of having had sex with a minor or paying women for sex. “In my single days, I often sent money to women I was having relationships with,” he explained. It is “embarrassing, but not criminal” that when he was younger he “partied more, had more affairs with women, drank and smoked than I should.” Nowadays, however, he leads a different life.
The members of the Ethics Committee voted in secret to publish the previously secret investigation report. Gaetz tried in vain to prevent this with a lawsuit. The 42-year-old resigned as a congressman after being nominated by Trump in November.
In a series of posts on the online service X on Monday, Gaetz responded to the publication of the investigation report. It is no coincidence “that they are doing this to me in a report published the day before Christmas Eve, and not in a courtroom where I could present evidence and question witnesses,” he wrote, among other things.
