US House Committee Continues Investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz

Facts

• The House Ethics Committee on Tuesday announced in a rare public statement that it is continuing to investigate Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) over allegations that the congressman engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, among other potential violations of House ethics.¹
• The committee is also examining whether Gaetz “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.”²
• The House began its investigation in April 2021, prompted by reports that Gaetz was under investigation by the Justice Department (DOJ) over an alleged relationship with an underage girl. Last year, the DOJ decided against charging him.³
• The committee is no longer pursuing allegations that Gaetz shared inappropriate images on the House floor, misused state ID records, converted campaign funds to personal use, or accepted a bribe. However, the committee claims that Gaetz has made it difficult to obtain information.⁴
• The bipartisan committee says it has spoken with more than a dozen witnesses, issued 25 subpoenas, and reviewed copious pages of documents.⁵
• Gaetz slammed the allegations as “lies intended solely to smear me,” noting that the panel has already closed four probes into his conduct.⁶

Sources: ¹The Hill, ²House Committee on Ethics, ³FOX News, ⁴NBC, ⁵Associated Press and ⁶New York Post.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Discern Report. Gaetz is one of the few members of Congress in either party to stand up to the political establishment, and he’s now facing its wrath. As a staunch Trump ally on Capitol Hill, Gaetz already had a bullseye on his back, and the target only got bigger after he pushed to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Gaetz had already been cleared by Biden’s hyperpartisan DOJ, yet his own colleagues in the House are determined to smear him.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Guardian. Gaetz has been steeped in many controversies and faces numerous allegations of misconduct. The House Ethics Committee has every right to investigate the serious allegations against a sitting congressman and maintain the integrity of Congress. No one is saying that Gaetz has committed any crime, but he has a duty to comply with the probe against him. He should be working with his colleagues instead of obstructing the investigation.

Predictions