Matt Gaetz Facing Investigation For Using Taxpayer Money To Pay Office Rent To A Donor

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) could be facing a House Ethics Committee investigation after it was revealed that he gave a donor nearly $200,000 in taxpayer money for office rent.

Politico reported:

Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz has spent nearly $200,000 in taxpayer funds renting an office from a longtime friend, adviser, campaign donor and legal client.

Both men said in separate interviews Gaetz paid below market rent for the space — although Gaetz later shifted, saying the rent was “at or below market rate.” House rules explicitly state such arrangements are not allowed.

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House rules state that all leases for district offices must be “at fair market value as the result of a bona fide, arms-length, marketplace transaction. The Lessor and Lessee certify that the parties are not relatives nor have had, or continue to have, a professional or legal relationship (except as a landlord and tenant).”

Gaetz never disclosed his relationship with the owner of the building to the House, and he was also violating rules by paying below-market rent for his office space. Gaetz has been all over Sen. Richard Burr for his insider trading, but he has his own ethical problems.

Trump isn’t the disease causing Republican corruption. He is a symptom of party-wide rot. Gaetz has some serious ethical issues that are in need of an investigation. Rep. Gaetz has been one of Trump’s biggest defenders in the House, and given this behavior, it is not difficult to understand why.

In the midst of a pandemic, the Republican Party remains more interested in lining its own pockets than protecting the American people.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association