(The Guardian) House ethics committee says rightwing lawmaker Gaetz remains under investigation for alleged drug use, sexual misconduct
The House ethics committee has given an update into its investigation of Matt Gaetz, a rightwing Republican lawmaker from Florida who has been the subject of a long-running inquiry into his behavior.
The committee said they were continuing their investigation of Gaetz over whether he “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct”.
However, they were no longer looking into allegations that Gaetz “may have shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe or improper gratuity”.
The justice department had looked into sex-trafficking allegations against Gaetz, but later closed the investigation without filing charges, clearing the way for the ethics committee’s inquiry to restart. Gaetz was a leader of the eight Republicans who banded together to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House last year, which McCarthy later claimed was done to stymie the ethics committee’s investigation.
The House ethics committee has given an update into its investigation of Matt Gaetz, a rightwing Republican lawmaker from Florida who has been the subject of a long-running inquiry into his behavior.
The committee said they were continuing their investigation of Gaetz over whether he “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct”.
However, they were no longer looking into allegations that Gaetz “may have shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe or improper gratuity”.
The justice department had looked into sex-trafficking allegations against Gaetz, but later closed the investigation without filing charges, clearing the way for the ethics committee’s inquiry to restart. Gaetz was a leader of the eight Republicans who banded together to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House last year, which McCarthy later claimed was done to stymie the ethics committee’s investigation.
