Matt Gaetz

Matt Gaetz served as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 1st district from 2017 until his resignation on November 14, 2024. Following a multi-year investigation, the House Ethics Committee released a report in December 2024 finding substantial evidence that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct, including statutory rape of a 17-year-old, and illicit drug use (cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana) between 2017 and 2019. The committee also found substantial evidence he violated House gift rules regarding a 2018 Bahamas trip, provided special favors—including expediting a passport for a woman he had a personal relationship with—and obstructed the committee's investigation. Investigators identified over $90,000 in payments made by Gaetz to 12 women, which the committee determined were likely for sex or drugs. Gaetz consistently denied all allegations, labeling the investigation a biased, weaponized smear campaign. Previously, the Department of Justice investigated allegations of sex trafficking and sexual relations with a minor but ultimately declined to file criminal charges. The House Ethics Committee concluded it did not find sufficient evidence of federal sex trafficking violations. Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly after being nominated for U.S. Attorney General, and subsequently withdrew his nomination.