The House Ethics Committee is rounding up witnesses and investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for potential sexual misconduct.
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Investigators from the House Ethics Committee have begun reaching out to witnesses as part of a recently revived investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, focused on allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, illicit drug use or other misconduct.
At least one witness in Florida told CNN they have spoken to investigators about the Republican congressman in recent weeks about alleged lobbying violations, and sources familiar with the Ethics Committee probe say other witnesses also have been contacted.
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Now chaired by Republican Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, the panel quietly restarted its investigation earlier this year without publicly laying out its targets anew. The decision to begin reaching out to witnesses, made by Guest and ranking Democratic member, Rep. Susan Wild of Pennsylvania, is the first formal step the committee has taken since the ethics investigation resumed.
The Ethics Committee is the only committee in the House that is by design non-partisan. The committee is evenly divided with five Republican members and five Democratic members. The chair is from the majority party and the vice chair is from the minority, but all votes on anything that comes out of the committee are bipartisan due to its even composition.
Matt Gaetz may have skated with the DOJ due to witness credibility issues, but he might not get so lucky with the Ethics Committee. The limitation is that the Ethics Committee refers members to the full House for action. With Kevin McCarthy’s job on the line every second of every day, the odds are not good that he would take action against Gaetz.
Any public report about Rep. Gaetz’s conduct would be revealing and potentially politically damaging.
The Matt Gaetz scandal hasn’t gone away. It has changed venues.
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
