“(Gaetz) may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use.”
(Congressional Ethics Panel)
As the Congressional Ethics Panel pulled up its socks to bring Matt Gaetz to justice over an inappropriate relationship with a teenage girl and a violation of the rules against accepting gifts, the character of the Florida Representative is in the limelight.
As the reports exposed him for his alleged involvement in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, his abuse of power while being in the office has also gained traction.
Gaetz, a long-time ally of former President Donald Trump, is currently serving in the House of Representatives, representing the 1st Congressional District of Florida.
Federal Prosecutors in Florida are also investigating sex trafficking charges against Joel Greenberg, an ally of Gaetz. Greenberg has been charged with sex-tracking a 17-years-old girl and using a state database to store secret information about the girl.
The New York Times bombshell claims that the Department of Justice is currently looking for connections between Gaetz and Greenberg in the cash-for-sex arrangement.
Gaetz is also prone to charges that he was involved in sharing the inappropriate photos of the women with whom he slept with the other congressmen on the House floor.
Finally, a confession letter written by Joel Greenberg came into the limelight claiming that Matt Gaetz had involvement in sexual activities with a lot of girls, including a minor.
As the letter, written during Trump’s presidency, became public, Greensburg claimed in the letter,
“From time to time, gas money or gifts, rent or partial tuition payments were made to several of these girls, including the individual who was not yet 18. I did see the acts occur firsthand, and Venmo transactions, Cash App, or other payments were made to these girls on behalf of the Congressman.”
(Joel Greenberg)
This letter will act as the admission of guilt, which can weaken the case of Gaetz in front of the Congressional Ethics Committee.
Through Greenberg, Matt Gaetz also transferred $900 to the three young girls using the Venmo App.
Owing to these gigantic allegations, even some Republicans have turned against Gaetz, which is not a very common phenomenon.
Matt Gaetz: Republican Congressman in Hot Water for Sexual Allegations
In their bid to investigate Matt Gaetz, federal agents have been engaged in finding the connection between Gaetz and several other Florida Republicans, including Florida State Senator Jason Brodeur, former Florida business regulator Halsey Beshears, and Gaetz’s donor. Jason Pirozzolo.
The Ethics Committee has revealed that it is aware of allegations against Gaetz, including the fact that he shared inappropriate images with House members, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and mismanaged funds, just for the sake of personal gain.
The House Ethics Committee is all set to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and ask for help from law enforcement agencies.
As the investigation is ongoing, the authority to recommend penalties is withheld by the Committee, and it will recommend the penalty once the investigation is complete.
In the most recent development, Federal authorities have seized the cell phones of Matt Gaetz and his former girlfriend, as the investigation is still underway.
The cell phones were seized after authorities acquired a search warrant against Gaetz after interviewing three people close to Gaetz. The cell phone of Gaetz’s former girlfriend has also been seized to find more evidence.
According to reports, this girl has been a victim of sex trafficking as a minor by Matt Gaetz and his friend Joel Greenberg.
As if all of this was not enough, Matt Gaetz is already in hot water, but every day brings a new problem for Florida Republicans.
A new report emerged in the Washington Post claims that Matt Gaetz has also been involved in sexual misconduct with a prep school music teacher along with a fraudulent note.
Read More: NewYork Governor Andrew Cuomo Sexual Allegations
Republicans Bid to Cancel Matt Gaetz: A Rare Phenomenon
At the beginning of the unfolding event, Congressional Republicans preferred to remain silent, considering Gaetz as a good friend and ally of former President Donald Trump.
However, the severity of the allegation has turned many Republicans against him, as Representative Adam Kinzinger was the first one to speak out and ask his colleague to resign from the House of Representatives.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has said that Gaetz will have to resign from his position if the allegations are true.
Despite the assertiveness of a few Republicans to go against Gaetz, the silence of most of the Republicans still portrays the sorry state of affairs.
The office of Matt Gaetz is still in denial, saying that all the allegations are blatantly false. For his defense, Gaetz has also hired two prominent New York attorneys, including Attorney Marc Mukasey and Isabelle Kirshner, who will lead the legal team of Gaetz.
Matt Gaetz has termed the allegations and Ethics Committee probe as a smear campaign against him, refused to resign, and ultimately launched a fundraising campaign for his defense.
Final Thoughts
Even the closest of his friends, i.e., Donald Trump, has denied supporting him in a hard time. As Matt Gaetz tried meeting the former president, Donald Trump refused to meet him, pushing him into further hot water.
Matt Gaetz, who wasted his whole life defending Donald Trump, is canceled by Donald Trump himself, showing the severity of allegations he is facing right now.
Politicians mainly act as opinion leaders in most societies, and a child molester as an opinion maker sets a dangerous precedent for the social fabric of any community.
Now is the time that the House Ethics committee leaves no stone unturned to bring Gaetz to justice so that a prominent message can be delivered to the masses that Congress is not ready to tolerate any unethical activities in the Capitol, the epicenter of legislation.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.