Donald Trump's first pick for attorney general paid a 17-year-old girl and other women for sex and took drugs during his time as a Congressman, a report has claimed.
The House Ethics Committee report said it had found "substantial evidence" that the former Republican Representative for Florida Matt Gaetz violated state and federal laws as well as House rules, accusing him of breaching rules around prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, and obstruction of Congress. The committee also accused the 42-year-old of having accepted luxury gifts exceeding limits when he took a trip to the Bahamas in 2018.
Mr Gaetz denies any wrongdoing and previously sought a restraining order against the committee. On December 18, he took to X/Twitter to deny every having had sex with someone under 18 and that he had done things that were "embarrassing, though not criminal."
The House committee said: "From 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz made tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women that the Committee determined were likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use."
The House reported added: "From at least 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him. In 2017, Representative Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl. During the period 2017 to 2019, Representative Gaetz used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions."
Mr Gaetz accused the committee of an "unconstitutional" attempt to "exercise jurisdiction over a private citizen through the threatened release of an investigative report containing potentially defamatory allegations, in violation of the committee's own rules."
Women who testified said all sexual encounters were consensual although one woman told the committee that use of drugs at parties they attended might have "impaired their ability to filly know what was going on or fully consent. Another said: "When I look back on certain moments, I feel violated."
Following President-elect Trump's election victory last month, he nominated Mr Gaetz to be his pick for US attorney general - the top legal official in the country. But Mr Gaetz withdrew his name for consideration following allegations about his conduct while in office.
Last month he said his selection was "becoming a distraction" to the incoming Trump administration. Mr Gaetz was re-elected to his position in November but resigned from the House after Mr Trump nominated him to the position. The ethics committee said it had received testimony that Mr Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old girl, who was called Victim A in the report.
Sky News said the report stated: "Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex. Victim A said that she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age."
Mr Gaetz was previously investigated by the Justice Department over three years amid sex trafficking allegations. No criminal charges were brought against him.