The House Ethics Committee has spoken with half a dozen women in connection with its probe of Rep. Matt Gaetz over allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, with one reportedly alleging she was paid by the far-right congressman for sex.
The female witnesses, who were also part of a since-closed Justice Department investigation into the Florida Republican, said they had received money to attend parties with Gaetz and his friend, ex-Seminole County tax commissioner Joel Greenberg — where sex and drug use took place, sources told ABC News.
Several women were shown Venmo records of payments from Gaetz by House Ethics investigators, but only one claimed that the transaction was for sex, per the report.
The others said the money was exchanged for their attendance at the parties.
A Gaetz spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the Ethics panel declined to comment.
Gaetz accused the Ethics Committee on Monday of “opening new frivolous investigations.” after having said in the past that the investigation “is trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward.”
“They are doing this to avoid the obvious fact that every investigation into me ends the same way: my exoneration,” he posted on X.
“This is Soviet. [Former House Speaker] Kevin McCarthy showed them the man, and they are now trying to find the crime.”
McCarthy (R-Calif.) has claimed that Gaetz led a successful move to oust him last October due to the then-speaker’s refusal to intervene in the House ethics investigation.
Gaetz has denounced McCarthy as a liar — and said publicly at the time that his concern was over a “secret side deal” struck with President Biden to provide further US military aid for Ukraine.
In May 2021, Greenberg pleaded guilty to recruiting women — at least one of whom was underage — and paying them more than $70,000 for commercial sex acts between 2016 and 2018.
He was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison in December 2022 on charges of wire fraud, stalking, identity theft, producing a fake ID card, conspiring to defraud the US government and underage sex trafficking.
Federal prosecutors chose not to bring charges against Gaetz, 42, following a three-year probe that concerned an alleged payment to a 17-year-old girl who crossed state lines for sex.
The House Ethics Committee on Tuesday released a statement confirming that it had reopened its investigation into the Floridian’s conduct after it had been put on pause at the request of the Justice Department.
The panel initially revealed the existence of the probe in April 2021.
“There has been a significant and unusual amount of public reporting on the Committee’s activities this Congress,” the committee said Tuesday. “Much of that reporting has been inaccurate.”
More than a dozen witnesses have been interviewed by the 10-member panel, which has issued 25 subpoenas — including to the Justice Department — and reviewed thousands of pages of documents as part of the investigation.
Sources told ABC News that the DOJ has declined to coordinate with the House panel, whereas Venmo has handed over records in response to a subpoena.
Greenberg is also reportedly cooperating with the committee, according to the outlet.
