The House Ethics Committee has concluded its investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who has been nominated to serve as attorney general in the next Trump administration, after two women testified that Gaetz paid them for sex and one of the women witnessed him engaging in sexual activity with a 17-year-old. The Justice Department also conducted a sex trafficking probe into Gaetz, but no criminal charges were filed.
Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and claims he was cleared of any misconduct by the Justice Department during the years-long investigation. However, questions about his behavior have raised concerns among some Republicans in the Senate regarding his nomination for attorney general.
The House Ethics Committee’s investigation revealed allegations of sexual misconduct, drug use, acceptance of improper gifts, and obstruction of government investigations by Gaetz. The probe was separate from the Justice Department’s sex trafficking investigation, which focused on allegations that Gaetz and his associate Joel Greenberg paid underage girls and offered gifts in exchange for sexual favors.
Greenberg, a former tax collector in Florida, pleaded guilty in 2021 to charges related to paying for sex with women and an underage girl. Gaetz was also reportedly scrutinized for a trip to the Bahamas with women and a doctor who had donated to his campaign, as well as his connections to the medical marijuana industry.
Despite the allegations, the Trump administration has defended Gaetz as the right person to root out corruption within the Justice Department. However, the controversy surrounding Gaetz’s past behavior may impact his confirmation as attorney general.
Source
Photo credit www.tampabay.com
