The House Ethics Committee is set to release its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) detailing a series of allegations of misconduct. The report, which was leaked early on Monday morning, gives a sweeping narrative of Gaetz’s alleged misconduct, including sexual relationships with women in exchange for payment, drug use, misuse of official resources, and others.
The committee alleges that the former lawmaker regularly paid women for sex — especially between 2017 and 2020. These encounters were allegedly facilitated by Joel Greenberg, a former Seminole Country, Florida, tax collector.
The two men allegedly split the cost for their sexual escapades, according tot he report. Payments tot he women were made using apps and checks. "Representative Gaetz sent $400 to Mr. Greenberg with the note 'Hit up [Victim A],' after which Mr. Greenberg sent payments totaling $400 to two women, including Victim A,” the report reads. In total, Gaetz is alleged to have paid tens of thousands of dollars to various women for sexual activities.
"From at least 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him. Payments were made using peer-to-peer payment platforms such as Venmo and CashApp, checks, and cash. Witnesses indicated that a lump sum would sometimes be sent to one woman, who would then distribute it evenly among others who attended the gatherings. The Committee reviewed contemporaneous text messages and financial records corroborating these transactions."
Gaetz allegedly labeled payments with misleading descriptions such as “tuition reimbursement” or “food” to conceal his activities, the committee alleges. They set up the encounters through a website called SeekingArrangement.com, a platform for those seeking “sugar daddy” relationships.
In one text exchange between Gaetz and a woman, he refused her request for money after sex, accusing her of “ditching” him when she was feeling tired and only giving him a “drive by” according to the document. The woman complained she was being “treated differently” from other women he had been paying for sex.
The committee’s report suggested the former lawmaker routinely used illicit drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana during events and trips. Several witnesses told investigators they saw him using these substances. He asked some of the women to obtain drugs for him in communications in which he used terms such as “party favors” or “rolls.” (slang for ecstasy)
"Text messages obtained by the Committee show that Representative Gaetz requested a 'full complement of party favors,' using coded language for ecstasy. Witnesses confirmed that Gaetz frequently requested and used drugs at events. Several women testified that they observed him under the influence of drugs, describing him as 'talkative, sexual, and staying up late.'"
Gaetz is also accused of misusing government resources to help women he had relationships with. He allegedly told his Chief of Staff to falsely claim that one of these women was one of his constituents to expedite her passport application. “The U.S. Department of State was provided false information, which stated the woman required expedited processing due to an urgent personal matter,” the report noted.
Part of the report centered on a 2018 trip to the Bahamas in which Gaetz again paid women for sex. "The Committee found that Representative Gaetz accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts,” the report explained.
The committee further noted that “Witnesses testified that women were paid to travel with Representative Gaetz to the Bahamas and were expected to engage in sexual activity during the trip.”
The report includes dissenting views from lawmakers arguing against the release of the report. These arguments, presented by Chairman Michael Guest on behalf of these members, suggested that not only would the release of the document serve no functional purpose, but it would also undermine Congress’ practice of not publishing these types of reports after a member leaves Congress.
"By issuing this report after Representative Gaetz’s resignation, we risk transforming the Committee into a tool of partisan recrimination," Guest wrote, also pointing out that “With Representative Gaetz no longer serving, this report cannot lead to any meaningful accountability within the House.”
The dissenters also criticized the committee’s reliance on Greenberg’s testimony, referring to him as “a convicted felon whose testimony has been called into question repeatedly.”
Gaetz has consistently denied the allegations against him, often pointing out that the Justice Department declined to prosecute him after a lengthy investigation. In a December 18 post on X, the former lawmaker notes that he was “charged with nothing” and “FULLY EXONERATED.”
You can read the full report below:
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