On Friday The House Ethics Committee had said that it dispatched an examination concerning Rep. Matt Gaetz. The troubled Florida Republican, Matt Gaetz who was already facing a federal criminal sex-trafficking probe.
In articulation, the morals panel said it knows about open charges that Gaetz “may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use.”
The board likewise noticed that Matt Gaetz is affirmed to have “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.”
The 38 year old Florida Republican energetically kept bad behavior since the Department from getting Justice’s examination originally became visible a week ago. He has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Matt Gaetz’s office told CNBC in response to the new ethics probe that; “Once again, the office will reiterate, these allegations are blatantly false and have not been validated by a single human being willing to put their name behind them.”
The Democrat-led morals board additionally uncovered Friday that it has started a test into Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., referring to claims of a conceivable sexual offense. On March 2021, Reed apologized to a woman who accused him of rubbing her back and unhooking her bra at a Minneapolis bar in 2017. Reed said he would not seek reelection in 2022.
Even though Reed’s office did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment, they addressed Politico regarding the matter.
“We have already publicly addressed this situation and consistent with that are cooperating with the House Ethics Committee to bring this matter to conclusion.”
Federal investigators are looking into whether Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her travels with him.
That test purportedly outgrew an examination concerning Gaetz’s partner Joel Greenberg, a previous area charge gatherer in Florida who is dealing with criminal indictments including sex trafficking of a minor, stalking, wire fraud, and identity theft.
Greenberg, a former county tax collector in Florida who is facing criminal charges including sex trafficking of a minor, stalking, wire fraud, and identity theft. However, he pleases not guilty of the charges.
In addition to that Mr. Greenberg’s lawyer and the prosecutors in his case told a judge Thursday that Greenberg is expected to strike a plea deal.
On Wednesday, NBC reported that the investigators are looking at whether women were paid to travel to the Bahamas with Gaetz for sex and whether Gaetz and Greenberg used the internet to look up women they could pay for sex.
Fritz Scheller, Greenberg’s attorney said on Thursday afternoon that “I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today,”.
Matt Gaetz declared this week he is “absolutely not resigning” from Congress. A staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, Gaetz has retained Marc Mukasey, a defense lawyer representing the Trump Organization, to represent him.