Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz isn’t happy about the “new frivolous investigations” launched against him by the House Ethics Committee.
Since 2021, when Democrats were in charge of the House, the ethics panel has been looking into allegations of Gaetz’s involvement in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use. Even after control of the chamber shifted to Republicans last year, the investigations continued.
Prior to this, Gaetz faced a Department of Justice inquiry over accusations of trafficking and engaging in sex with a minor. Though charges were dropped against him, he maintains his innocence.
Expressing his thoughts, Gaetz took to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, suggesting that the Republican-led committee had started new investigations against him. He confidently predicted that this situation would ultimately lead to his “exoneration.”
“The House Ethics Committee has closed four probes against me, arising from pure lies aimed at tarnishing my reputation,” Gaetz stated. “Instead of teaming up with me to prohibit Congressional stock trading, the Ethics Committee is now initiating unnecessary investigations.”
“They are doing this to avoid the unavoidable truth that all investigations involving me conclude the same way: with my exoneration,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, Gaetz implied that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy might be linked to these investigations. McCarthy, who stepped down from Congress late last year after being removed from the speakership following a motion to vacate by Gaetz, has been brought into the fray.
“This is Soviet,” Gaetz penned. “Kevin McCarthy pointed them in my direction, and now they are searching for a crime that fits. I represent the people of Northwest Florida who won’t be fooled by this nonsense, and McCarthy and his cohorts are aware of it.”
McCarthy has alleged that Gaetz’s push to vacate the speakership, leading to his removal in October 2023, was driven by personal motives due to his refusal to halt the ethics committee investigation.
“He was attempting an unlawful interference,” McCarthy mentioned on CBS News’ Face the Nation in March. “I believe Matt wanted me to engage in something illegal to impede the Ethics Committee’s ongoing investigation that predated my speakership.”
Known for sparking division, Gaetz has not only been a contentious figure in the House but also among his GOP peers. Reports surfaced that some members even considered expelling him from the chamber when he pushed for McCarthy’s removal.