Congressional investigators found evidence that former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida regularly paid women for sex; had sex with a 17-year-old, breaking Florida’s statutory rape laws; and frequently used illegal drugs, among other violations of House ethics rules. 

The House Ethics Committee on Monday released its highly anticipated report from its investigation into allegations of sex trafficking and other improprieties by Gaetz, who was President-elect Donald Trump’s first pick for attorney general. 

Gaetz resigned from the House in mid-November. He argued that because he was no longer a member of the House, the committee did not have jurisdiction to release the report. Gaetz withdrew from consideration to lead the Justice Department on November 21 amid mounting scrutiny into his past from Republican senators. 

Gaetz has long been dogged by allegations of illicit drug use and sexual misconduct, though he has never been charged. On Monday, he filed a federal lawsuit in a last-ditch effort to block the Ethics report’s release, arguing it contains ​​“untruthful and defamatory information” that would “significantly damage” his reputation. 

The release of the report, the lawsuit says, “represents an unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections.” 

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 said.

A criminal investigation into onetime Gaetz political ally Joel Greenberg sparked two major probes, one by congressional investigators and one by the Justice Department, into whether Gaetz committed statutory rape and paid for a 17-year-old girl to travel with him across state lines — a violation of federal law that Gaetz denies. 

The secretive House Ethics panel had been investigating allegations of impropriety by Gaetz since 2021 as the Justice Department was pursuing its sex trafficking probe. The DOJ ended its investigation in 2023 without bringing charges against Gaetz. Congressional investigators said that while they found evidence that Gaetz paid for adult women to travel across state lines for sex, they did not find sufficient evidence that he engaged in sex trafficking of minors. 

The House investigation also found evidence that Gaetz used illegal drugs while in office and sent payments arranging for the procurement of drugs, including by creating an email account from his congressional office specifically to obtain marijuana. It also explored accusations that Gaetz abused state identification records, misappropriated campaign funds for personal use, improperly accepted gifts in violation of House rules and showed colleagues explicit photos of women on the House floor. Gaetz and his representatives have strenuously denied those allegations. 

In a Wednesday post on X, Gaetz said he had been “EXONERATED” by the DOJ’s probe and cast doubt on the integrity of the House Ethics report. The report includes documentation of payments, including Venmo transactions, totaling over $90,000 between Gaetz and a dozen women that, the committee said, “were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use.” Gaetz acknowledged in the post that he sent payments to women but denied any wrongdoing or having sexual relations with a minor. 

“In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated — even some I never dated but who asked. I dated several of these women for years,” he said. “I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court — which is why no such claim was ever made in court.”

Gaetz, who is 42 and married, said on X that his 30s “were an era of working very hard — and playing hard too.” 

“It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life,” he wrote. “I live a different life now.”

On Monday, he continued to post snippets of depositions from committee witnesses he said refuted claims he paid for sex. 

“Giving funds to someone you are dating – that they didn’t ask for – and that isn’t “charged” for sex is now prostitution?!?,” he posted Monday on X. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.”

It’s rare, though not unprecedented, for a House Ethics report to be released after a member of Congress leaves office. CNN first reported that the Ethics panel had secretly voted earlier this month to release its report after deadlocking on the release along party lines in November. 

The committee’s investigation found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz had sex with a then-17-year-old, referred to in the report as “Victim A,” twice at a party in 2017 — including one time in the presence of witnesses. She testified to the panel that Gaetz paid her $400 that night, “which she understood to be payment for sex,” the report said. 

“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 report said. 

The allegations surrounding Gaetz and sexual encounters with a then-minor also came to light in a civil case brought by Florida lobbyist Chris Dorwoth, who had previously sued Greenberg and others in an effort to distance himself from the controversies involving Gaetz. Dorworth has since dropped the lawsuit, but in court filings made public earlier this year, three eyewitnesses testified that Gaetz had sex with the 17-year-old at a July 2017 party at Dorworth’s house that included “alcohol; cocaine; middle-aged men; and young attractive females,” one witness stated.   

Lawyers John Clure and Joel Leppard, who represent women who had testified before the House Ethics panel, had publicly called for the report’s release. 

Two Democrats, Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois, also put forth privileged motions to compel the report’s release, citing past precedent of House Ethics reports being made public after a member left the body. The full House voted down both motions.