After it was reported that the House Ethics Committee voted to release former lawmaker Matt Gaetz's ethics report, Gaetz took to X to extort his former colleagues, threatening to "expose" their supposed "me too" settlements.
Gaetz was previously the subject of a Justice Department investigation into alleged sex trafficking involving a 17-year-old girl and has faced scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee over accusations of sexual misconduct.
Earlier this month, the House Ethics Committee quietly voted to release its report on the conduct of Gaetz before the current Congress adjourns, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The report is now expected to be made public after the House concludes its final votes of the year, as lawmakers prepare to leave Washington for the holiday break, the sources said.
This vote, previously unreported, marks a significant shift for the panel, which had initially voted along party lines in late November to withhold the investigation’s findings. The decision to release the report indicates that some Republicans may have joined Democrats in supporting its publication. However, it remains unclear whether the committee might reverse course again despite its latest decision.
Last month, when the panel voted to withhold the report, Gaetz was President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general. Since then, Gaetz has withdrawn from consideration for the Senate-confirmed role—and he has a bone to pick with his former colleagues.
Gaetz wrote hours after the news broke that "someone suggested" a "plan" for him to retaliate against current House members.
Under the plan, Gaetz would return to the House at the start of its new session on January 3, as he was reelected to his Florida U.S. House seat before his resignation. He would then "participate in the Speaker election," according to the suggestion.
Gaetz outlined that he would "take the oath" to serve in the upcoming Congress and subsequently file "a privileged motion to expose every 'me too' settlement paid using public funds (even of former members)."
After submitting the motion, which would compel the House to vote on the issue within 48 hours, Gaetz would then resign from Congress once more to begin hosting an opinion show on the right-wing network One America News, scheduled to launch just days later.
You can see his post below.
His post came just a couple of hours after he raged against his former colleagues and the Biden administration, insisting he was "FULLY EXONERATED" and questioning the investigation's integrity because "the people investigating me hated me."
He added:
"Then, the very 'witnesses' DOJ deemed not-credible were assembled by House Ethics to repeat their claims absent any cross-examination or challenge from me or my attorneys. I’ve had no chance to ever confront any accusers. I’ve never been charged. I’ve never been sued."
"Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body. In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated - even some I never dated but who asked. I dated several of these women for years. I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18."
"Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court - which is why no such claim was ever made in court. My 30’s were an era of working very hard - and playing hard too. It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life."
"I live a different life now. But at least I didn’t vote for CR’s that f**k over the country!"
You can see his post below.
But many saw Gaetz's attacks for what they were: desperate.
The House Ethics Committee's report marks the conclusion of a lengthy investigation into several allegations against Gaetz, including claims of sexual misconduct, drug use, “shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gifts,” as detailed in the committee’s announcement last summer.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has stated that he does not believe the report should be released, arguing that Gaetz’s departure from Congress renders it unnecessary. Gaetz abruptly resigned after Trump announced him as his initial pick for attorney general.
Johnson, however, has acknowledged that he has no authority over the committee, which traditionally operates independently of House leadership. Many lawmakers suspect Gaetz’s resignation was an attempt to suppress the investigation.
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