Former Rep. Matt Gaetz filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to prevent the official release of a long-awaited House Ethics Committee report detailing allegations of misconduct during his time in office. Gaetz took legal action around the same time when news outlets, including CNN, reported on a draft of the report’s findings related to his alleged sexual misconduct and drug use. However, the committee went ahead and released the report on its website shortly after Gaetz filed the lawsuit, rendering his legal challenge essentially irrelevant.
In his court filing later that day, Gaetz argued that the committee’s decision to make the report public had made his lawsuit moot. He criticized the committee for not following proper procedures, such as notifying him in advance and providing him with copies of the materials. Gaetz claimed that releasing the report would severely damage his reputation due to immediate and widespread media coverage.
The lawsuit, filed in Washington, DC, targeted the Republican-led committee and its chairman, with Gaetz asserting that the report’s release violated House rules and denied him the opportunity to address the investigative conclusions. Gaetz’s attorneys emphasized his innocence regarding the alleged misconduct and accused the committee of being unresponsive to his requests for due process.
The federal judge overseeing the case, Amit Mehta, asked Gaetz to justify why the lawsuit should not be dismissed as it appeared to be moot following the report’s release. Gaetz expressed frustration with the process, stating that he was not given the chance to present evidence or challenge witnesses in a formal courtroom setting.
The lawsuit further alleged that the committee exceeded its authority by publicly releasing a report concerning a private citizen, particularly as Gaetz is no longer a member of Congress. The report detailed multiple instances where Gaetz allegedly paid women for sex or drugs, including an incident involving a 17-year-old girl, potentially violating state laws on prostitution, statutory rape, drug use, and other offenses.
Gaetz maintained that he was not properly informed of the committee’s plan to publish the report and was deprived of the opportunity to respond to its conclusions. He criticized the committee’s actions as a breach of constitutional rights and procedural safeguards.
The report notes that the Justice Department looked into Gaetz for similar reasons but decided not to prosecute him – a defense that Gaetz has consistently leaned on. However, the report only suggests that Gaetz might have violated state laws. Gaetz has also refuted claims of misusing campaign funds for personal expenses, asserting in his legal action that the Federal Election Commission probed the accusations and concluded that there was “no reason to believe” they were valid. Furthermore, he contests the accusation of potential involvement in illegal drug use and the claim that he acquired counterfeit identification documents. This article has been enhanced with supplementary information. CNN’s Tierney Sneed contributed to this coverage. For the latest CNN news and updates, sign up for an account at CNN.com.
