House Ethics Committee announces investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz

From the Committee:

“The Committee is aware of public allegations that Representative Matt Gaetz may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct.”

Full statement here:

DEVELOPING: House Ethics Committee has begun an investigation into allegations made against @RepMattGaetz. Stay with @77WABCradio and https://t.co/YglQsSp5uO for the very latest pic.twitter.com/hGFAoyCcWV

— TalkRadio 77 WABC (@77WABCradio) April 9, 2021

The Committee investigated Gaetz in 2019 over a perceived threat he tweeted at Michael Cohen before Cohen’s testimony in front of Congress:

NEW: The Ethics Committee is investigating Matt Gaetz for a range of potential crimes and rule violations.

He tangled with the committe in 2019 over a tweeted threat to @MichaelCohen212. He blew off the panel at the time.

w/ @nicholaswu12https://t.co/8EAZYXxTZ8

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) April 9, 2021

So far, the only Republican calling on Gaetz to resign is Rep. Adam Kinzinger:

Matt Gaetz needs to resign. https://t.co/AygfqAxQJX via @thedailybeast

— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) April 9, 2021

A spokesperson for Gaetz also announced on Friday that he’s hired two prominent criminal defense attorneys from New York to represent him as the DOJ continues its probe:

The deepening scrutiny comes as Gaetz faces a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls. The congressman has retained two prominent New York attorneys. https://t.co/N3x9zWOrZk

— The Associated Press (@AP) April 9, 2021

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