The path of former Florida congressman Matt Gaetz to lead the US Department of Justice has been cut short due to misconduct allegations. Gaetz was chosen by President-elect Trump to serve as Attorney General but withdrew his nomination citing distractions caused by the allegations against him. The 42-year-old is the subject of a congressional ethics investigation involving claims of drugs, bribes, and sex.
A witness has testified that they saw Gaetz having sex with a minor at a party in 2017, while another allegation suggests that Gaetz paid women for sex. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and called the investigation a “smear campaign”. The Department of Justice also investigated the claim involving the minor but did not file criminal charges.
The House Ethics Committee has been investigating Gaetz over various allegations since 2021, including underage sex, drug use, bribes, and other misconduct. A former friend of Gaetz, Joel Greenberg, cooperated with federal prosecutors and implicated Gaetz in paying for sex with young women, including a minor. However, the federal investigation into Gaetz was closed without charges being filed.
Gaetz’s resignation from Congress has halted the release of the ethics committee report’s findings. Without Gaetz in office and with his withdrawal from consideration as Attorney General, the report is unlikely to be published. The report can only be released during the lifespan of the current Congress, which ends in January. Unless there are leaks or further investigations, the details of the report may remain undisclosed.
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