Could a sworn written statement obtained by the House Ethics Committee be Rep. Matt Gaetz’s undoing?
As the committee continues to investigate the Florida Republican, investigators have reason to believe he attended drug-fueled parties and used illicit drugs as a Member of Congress.
A written statement from a young woman alleges that in 2017, when she was 20, she attended a party in Florida where Gaetz was also present. The gathering featured alcohol and narcotics, including ecstasy and cocaine, sources familiar with the investigation told ABC News.
But that’s not all:
In the sworn statement, which has not been previously reported, the woman said that in addition to Gaetz, the party was attended by the then-minor who was at the center of a yearslong Justice Department investigation into accusations that the Florida Congressman had sex with her when she was 17, according to sources.
According to the statement provided to the committee, sources said the woman who made the statement — who ABC News is not identifying — said she saw the then-minor naked at the party, which was also attended by adult men other than Gaetz, and that at the party there allegedly were bedrooms that were made available for sexual activities.
Gaetz received intense scrutiny after former friend and political ally, Joel Greenberg, pleaded guilty to six charges, including sex trafficking the same 17-year-old.
Greenberg is serving an 11-year prison sentence.
Gaetz has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing, including the allegations that he had sex with a minor. The Justice Department informed Gaetz in 2023 that it was declining to bring charges against him.
Though the statement obtained by Congress references Gaetz, it was not written specifically to the Ethics Committee and is not primarily about the congressman, and the woman does not discuss whether or not she had knowledge of Gaetz’s alleged sexual relations with the then-minor, sources said.
During the DOJ’s sex crimes investigation, one of Gaetz’s ex-girlfriends testified before a Seminole County, Florida, grand jury. Prosecutors considered her an integral witness. She reportedly talked with them about an immunity deal for months.
Months after prosecutors informed Gaetz they wouldn’t pursue charges, the House Ethics Committee revived the investigation.
The inquiry began in 2021 under Nancy Pelosi’s speakership. Gaetz supposedly insisted then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy drop the investigation, something McCarthy said he couldn’t do.
McCarthy accuses Gaetz of using the House Republican Conference’s controversial motion-to-vacate rule to oust him in retaliation, an accusation Gaetz vehemently denies.
However, a report, with partially redacted private correspondence, suggests Gaetz bragged about instigating McCarthy’s remove because he considered him unable, or unwilling, to end the investigation.
The sparring recently escalated when McCarthy suggested on CBS’ “Face the Nation” the Gaetz broke the law in his attempt to end the Ethics complaint against him.
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Patrick Houck is an avid political enthusiast based out of the Washington, D.C., metro area. His expertise is in campaigns and the use of targeted messaging to persuade voters. When not combing through the latest news, you can find him enjoying the company of family and friends or pursuing his love of photography.
