House Ethics Probe into Matt Gaetz Heats Up as Committee Requests Info from DOJ Investigation

An ethics investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and his alleged involvement with a teenage girl appeared to be ramping up, according to CNN reporter Paula Reid.

Reid told Jake Tapper Wednesday, “We’ve learned that the House Ethics Committee investigating Congressman Gaetz has done a new round of outreach to potential witnesses, including a woman who was 17 years old when she allegedly had sexual contact with Congressman Gaetz.”

Reid added:

We learned they have also reached out to the Justice Department asking for materials from its years-long investigation into the congressman where they examined this alleged sexual contact with a minor. They did not ultimately opt to charge the congressman.

Now, in response to our new reporting tonight, the congressman says, quote, “Those allegations were not true, have never been true, and the people who spread those lies have been exposed, indicted, and imprisoned.”

Reid stressed that Gaetz was not charged with any wrongdoing, although his associate, Joel Greenberg, admitted to multiple crimes, including soliciting and having sex with the minor in question. Greenberg was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

She continued, “The Ethics Committee had its own probe starting in 2021 into the congressman,” but put it on pause to yield to the federal investigation. “After the federal investigation wrapped up last year, this was all revived.”

Reid said that that Gaetz “privately blamed” former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for reviving the probe, and that this belief may have been a factor as Gaetz worked to oust McCarthy from the speakership, though the lawmaker denies this.

Watch the clip above via CNN.