In a statement posted on his social media account, Gaetz emphatically denied the allegations, stating that the answer to the question was unequivocally NO. The Ethics Committee, however, reported receiving testimony indicating that Gaetz had engaged in sexual activity with a then-17-year-old girl, referred to as Victim A, during a party in South Florida in July 2017. The report also mentioned that there was evidence suggesting Gaetz had engaged in sexual activities with multiple women at the party, including the underage girl, and that payments were involved.
The Committee found text message exchanges between Gaetz and his associates, where they discussed payment for sexual encounters. One text exchange revealed Gaetz’s reluctance to pay a woman who had only briefly visited him, leading to a discussion about being treated differently from other women he was allegedly paying for sex.
The report also highlighted text messages from Gaetz’s then-girlfriend, initially met through SeekingArrangement.com, where she mentioned financial constraints and referred to a “customer appreciation week” concept regarding payments for sexual services.
Gaetz, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, criticized the credibility of the Ethics Committee and shared witness testimonies to dispute the findings. The Committee, however, pointed to financial records showing substantial payments from Gaetz to women for sexual activities and drug use.
After a thorough investigation, the bipartisan committee concluded that Gaetz had violated House Rules, state and federal laws, and standards of conduct related to prostitution, statutory rape, drug use, and other offenses. Gaetz, a Trump ally, had been considered for the position of attorney general but withdrew from consideration due to Senate opposition. He resigned from Congress and has since joined a news network where he is set to host a show.
The report revealed that Matt Gaetz made payments to at least 12 women, either in cash, by check, or mostly through online services like Venmo, PayPal, and Cash App. These women were typically more than 15 years younger than Gaetz, in their early twenties, and many were found through a friend of Gaetz on a “sugar dating” website, which primarily linked older men with younger women seeking mutually beneficial relationships.
The report stated that Gaetz exploited the financial vulnerability of these young women to entice them into sexual activities for which they received a few hundred dollars on average after each encounter. It referenced cases of sex trafficking stemming from contacts made on similar “sugar dating” websites.
Gaetz, along with his wife, was seen at the America First Policy Institute Gala in November 2024 with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Joel Greenberg, Gaetz’s friend who reportedly procured women for both of them from the “sugar daddy” website, is serving an 11-year federal prison sentence, in part for sex trafficking a minor.
The committee authorized 29 subpoenas, reviewed thousands of documents, and interviewed over two dozen witnesses. It received responses from Greenberg but expressed doubts about his credibility. Gaetz mostly stalled and provided unhelpful replies to requests for information.
In February 2023, the Justice Department notified Gaetz that he would not face charges related to the investigation, declining to share its findings with the committee due to the absence of criminal charges against him.
Many women interviewed stated they received payments between $400 and $1,000 for encounters with Gaetz, with a general expectation of payment after each sexual activity. Financial records revealed Gaetz paid over $4,000 to four women, with one receiving more than $5,000 between 2018 and 2019. Text messages showed Gaetz requesting drugs at times during these rendezvous.
Gaetz did not respond to requests for comment and largely avoided answering committee questions, particularly those concerning allegations of paying for sex.
There is evidence suggesting that he understood and shared many of the women’s transactional views of their arrangements,” as stated in the report. The report also mentioned an incident where Gaetz sent $400 to Greenberg with a note instructing him to “Hit up” one of the women, who was only identified as Victim A. The report goes on to state that “Mr. Greenberg then sent two women payments totaling $400, including Victim A.” The identities of the women involved were not disclosed in the report.
The report highlighted a particular instance where Gaetz’s spokesperson denied his acquaintance with a woman he had been photographed with in May 2017. However, the investigation revealed that he had indeed invited her and others to join him for what he described as a “fun and very chill” time in Key West with “2 guys, 4 girls. A very high-quality, adventurous group.” According to the report, “Payment records reviewed by the Committee show that Representative Gaetz paid $600 to the woman the same day he was photographed with her.”
