The House Ethics Committee released their report on Matt Gaetz today and is has damning allegations.

But as a reminder, Gaetz was criminally investigated by Joe Biden’s DOJ and they never found evidence of wrongdoing and never charged him with a crime.

Here’s a quick write-up by The Hill:

The House Ethics Committee found “substantial evidence” that former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) paid a 17-year-old high school student for sex when he was 35, used illicit drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, and obstructed Congress’s investigation into his conduct.

Those conclusions come in a highly anticipated report released Monday that capped the panel’s years-long, on-and-off investigation into the former Florida congressman.

“The committee concluded there was substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, acceptance of impermissible gifts, the provision of special favors and privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report says.

Gatez has repeatedly denied having sexual contact with a minor and other wrongdoing. Last week, in anticipation of the report’s release, Gaetz said he had engaged in “embarrassing, though not criminal” past behavior.

The Department of Justice had also looked into whether Gaetz violated sex trafficking laws related to the 17-year-old and traveling with her across state lines, but in 2023 declined to charge Gaetz with a crime. That probe stemmed from another investigation of former Florida tax collector Joel Greenberg, who is currently in prison for on charges including sex trafficking of a minor and fraud, and had cooperated with the DOJ as part of a plea agreement.

When the DOJ probe ended, however, the Ethics Committee booted up its investigation into Gaetz. The House committee is empowered to investigate whether representatives or staff have violated the rules and standards of the House, and has much different standards than federal law enforcement agencies.

Gaetz has noted the different standards of the internal Ethics committee versus a court when defending himself, saying in a post last week: “I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court – which is why no such claim was ever made in court.”

 
Matt Gaetz has been forced to spend the morning defending himself from these accusations, pointing out how some of these witnesses lied to the committee:

Giving funds to someone you are dating – that they didn’t ask for – and that isn’t “charged” for sex is now prostitution?!?

There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses.

This is testimony from one of the alleged “prostitutes” that you won’t see in the report!

 
Gaetz also retweeted this from someone who responded to his first tweet:

Say what you will morally about Gaetz’s behavior, but admits to being embarrassed by it. Honestly, I think many of us would be mortified to have the embarrassing or even shameful moments of our lives put on display for everyone to see and judge.

So yes, I do feel this is unfair given that Gaetz is no longer in the House and that he was never prosecuted for any of this because he didn’t commit any crimes, despite what he report alleges.