News
Gaetz Investigation Widens: House Ethics Committee Reaches Out to Another Ex-Girlfriend
The House Ethics Committee’s investigation into U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz has expanded once again, this time with the bipartisan group reaching out to another ex-girlfriend of the far-right Florida Republican, according to CNN.
While Gaetz’s attorneys in 2022 announced the U.S. Dept. of Justice had told them the Congressman would not be charged, the House Ethics Committee last summer revived its investigation. Now, it appears, a new area of investigation is opening.
The Ethics Committee “has reached out to an ex-girlfriend who was a key witness in the federal investigation into the Florida lawmaker, according to a source familiar with the ethics probe,” CNN revealed Thursday. “The outreach, which has not previously been reported, is a sign that the GOP-led committee’s investigation into the Florida Republican has recently expanded to include questioning around allegations of sex crimes, drug use and illicit benefits.”
CNN describes the woman as “a former Capitol Hill staffer, has been linked to Gaetz as far back as the summer of 2017,” who “was granted immunity in the federal criminal probe and testified before a grand jury in January 2022,” but adds she “is not expected to voluntarily cooperate with the Ethics probe.”
Gaetz told CNN he believes the Ethics Committee investigation is “payback” for his efforts to oust then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, but the investigation was opened before then. The DOJ investigation, which appears to have been shuttered, was originally approved by Trump-era Attorney General Bill Barr in 2020.
READ MORE: ‘Not Enemies’: Biden Urges ‘Dignity and Respect’ Amid ‘Tough Differences’ at Prayer Breakfast
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.