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The report from the House Ethics Committee into former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has found that he paid thousands of dollars to more than a dozen women — including a 17-year-old girl — for sex.
He is also accused of buying and using illegal drugs, including from his office on Capitol Hill, according to the report, a draft of which was first obtained by CBS News and CNN.
Gaetz also stands accused of violating Florida’s statutory rape laws, among others, the report found.
“The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report states.
This comes after Donald Trump gave his first rally-style speech since his election victory in Phoenix on Sunday.
At the event — AmericaFest 2024 — he discussed immigration, defended some of his most controversial cabinet picks, and laid out his plans for when he takes office on January 20, which he referred to as “liberation day.”
Trump also repeated his threats of retaking the Panama Canal.
“We’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal like we’re being ripped off everywhere else,” he said.
An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump
President-elect Donald Trump won a return to the White House in part by promising big changes in economic policy — more tax cuts, huge tariffs on imports, mass deportations of immigrants working in the United States illegally.
In some ways, his victory marked a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s economic stewardship and a protest against inflation. It came despite low unemployment and steady growth under the Biden administration.
What lies ahead for the economy under Trump? Paul Ashworth of Capital Economics spoke recently to The Associated Press. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Read more:
Mandelson an ‘asset’ to UK-US ties, No 10 says after Trump ally jibe
Downing Street has rejected suggestions that Lord Mandelson becoming the UK’s ambassador to the US will cause more problems than benefits for the UK after he was insulted by a Donald Trump adviser.
Number 10 defended the Labour grandee as a “significant asset” to the transatlantic relationship after Chris LaCivita, an architect of the president-elect’s 2024 campaign, called him an “absolute moron”.
Asked whether the remark indicated that his appointment would be more problematic than beneficial for the UK, Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: “No… his appointment shows just how seriously we’re taking this relationship.
Read more:
Who is Matt Gaetz’s wife, Ginger? The woman proudly standing by her man amid sex allegations
Ginger Gaetz beams as she stands beside her husband in loved-up photos curated on her Instagram page.
Read more:
‘These claims would be destroyed in court,’ Gaetz says
“These claims would be destroyed in court — which is why they were never made in any court against me,” Gaetz told Politico.
Matt Gaetz sues ethics committee to block release of report
Matt Gaetz has sued the House Ethics Committee in an attempt to block the release of a report that found that he paid thousands of dollars to more than a dozen women for sex.
“The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report states. A draft of the report was initially obtained by CBS News and CNN.
“Upon information and belief, Defendants’ intention to release reports and/or investigatory information related to Plaintiff contains untruthful and defamatory information concerning Plaintiff, which, if publicly released, would significantly damage Plaintiff’s standing and reputation in the community,” the suit states. “Once released, the damage to Plaintiff’s reputation and professional standing would be immediate, severe and irreversible, particularly because: a. The Committee’s findings would carry the imprimatur of official Congressional action; b. Media coverage would be immediate and widespread; c. The allegations would permanently remain in the public record; d. No adequate remedy exists to retract or correct information once released; e. Sovereign immunity would likely bar any subsequent damages action.”
Ethics committee report finds evidence Matt Gaetz paid 17-year-old-girl for sex
A bombshell report from the House Ethics Committee reveals damning news details about the long-running investigation into Matt Gaetz’s alleged sexual misconduct and illicit drug use.
The report found that the former House representative from Florida paid thousands of dollars to more than a dozen women — including a 17-year-old girl — for sex.
He is also accused of buying and using illegal drugs, including from his office on Capitol Hill, according to the report, a draft of which was first obtained by CBS News and CNN.
Gaetz is accused of violating Florida’s statutory rape laws, among others, the report found.
“The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report states.
Read more:
WATCH: Trump says Elon Musk is ‘not taking the presidency’
US announces deportations in 2024 hit a 10-year high. Trump wants to increase it tenfold
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has revealed deportations hit a 10-year high in 2024 as President-elect Donald Trump promises to increase that figure dramatically when he takes office in a month.
ICE deported 271,484 people this year, the highest since 2014 when the agency deported more than 300,000 people, according to their fiscal year 2024 report.
During Trump’s first term, his administration hit a high of 267,258 deportations in 2019. This report comes after Trump spent much of his time on the campaign trail criticizing President Joe Biden’s administration on immigration.
This year’s number of deportations is still not high enough, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the president-elect and soon-to-be White House press secretary, said in a statement to The Independent.
“This number pales in comparison to the tens of millions of illegal criminals, including thousands of murderers, rapists, and drug dealers, who Joe Biden allowed to illegally enter our country and continue to roam freely in our communities to this very day,” Leavitt said.
Katie Hawkinson has the details.
WATCH: Peter Mandelson denies interest in US ambassador role in resurfaced Newsnight interview
Trump threatens EU with tariffs unless it makes ‘large scale’ purchase of US gas and oil
President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on the European Union unless it purchases more oil and gas from the United States – an intimidation tactic that Trump has wielded against other countries as well.
After announcing a 25 percent tariff on the U.S. largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico, and threatening to increase tariffs on China, Trump has now targeted the E.U.
“I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large scale purchase of our oil and gas. Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social around 1 a.m. Friday.
Ariana Baio has the full story.
