Reading the Matt Gaetz ethics report

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Picture: Mandel Ngan/AFP

Whether Donald Trump realises it or not, Republicans did him a favour by making clear that former Rep. Matt Gaetz was unconfirmable as U.S. Attorney-General. On Monday the House Ethics Committee released a 37-page report from its misconduct inquiry into Mr. Gaetz, which found “substantial evidence” of drug use, prostitution, and statutory rape.

“The Committee heard testimony from over half a dozen witnesses who attended parties, events, and trips with Representative Gaetz from 2017-2020,” it says. “Nearly every young woman that the Committee interviewed confirmed that she was paid for sex by, or on behalf of, Representative Gaetz.” Some were first contacted via “a ‘sugar dating’ website,” the report adds. Mr Gaetz “did not appear to have negotiated specific payment amounts.”

Yet the committee alleges that the terms of the deal were clear. “The women had a general expectation that they would typically receive some amount of money after each sexual encounter,” it says. One woman who got $5,000 over two years testified: “99 per cent of the time that [Representative Gaetz and I] were hanging out, there was sex involved.” Text messages included lines such as: “BTW Matt also mentioned he is going to be a bit generous.”

The report says the record “overwhelmingly suggests” Mr. Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old at a house party in 2017, when he was 35, citing corroboration by “multiple individuals.” The woman testified she was given “$400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex.” She said “she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask.” The committee says it has evidence Mr. Gaetz didn’t learn her age until later, while noting that “statutory rape is a strict liability crime.”

In text messages, the report says, Mr. Gaetz would “ask women to bring drugs to their rendezvous,” in some cases “requesting ‘a full compliment [sic] of party favours,’ ‘vitamins,’ or ‘rolls.’” One woman said that she “witnessed him taking cocaine or ecstasy on at least five occasions.”

Mr Gaetz denies illegal behaviour. “In my single days, I often sent funds to women I dated,” he wrote last week. “I NEVER had sexual contact with someone under 18. Any claim that I have would be destroyed in court — which is why no such claim was ever made in court.” He added: “It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanised, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life.” The Justice Department investigated Mr. Gaetz but didn’t bring any charges, which he claims is an exoneration.

The Senate’s advise-and-consent role is to protect the country from unfit nominees. Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP

The ethics report, however, alleges that his conduct broke state laws while also perhaps avoiding the federal sex-trafficking statute: “Although Representative Gaetz did cause the transportation of women across state lines for purposes of commercial sex, the Committee did not find evidence that any of those women were under 18 at the time of travel, nor did the Committee find sufficient evidence to conclude that the commercial sex acts were induced by force, fraud, or coercion.”

Appended to the report is a short dissent by a Republican, but it’s focused on the decision to release these ugly details after Mr. Gaetz quit Congress. “We do not challenge the Committee’s findings,” it says. Mr Gaetz presents himself as a victim of a political vendetta, but his behaviour should be disqualifying for a cabinet post, especially chief law enforcement officer. Mr Gaetz abruptly resigned from Congress in hopes of forestalling the report’s release.

All of this vindicates GOP Senators who were sceptical of Mr. Gaetz’s nomination. The Senate’s advise-and-consent role is to protect the country from unfit nominees. By doing that job well, Republican Senators can also protect Mr. Trump from his worst decisions.

The Wall Street Journal