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Matt Gaetz ethics report says his drug use and sex with a minor violated state laws (www.cbsnews.com)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by Rapidcreek@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

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From the report: “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.”

More: “The record overwhelmingly suggests that Representative Gaetz had sex with multiple women at a 2017 Florida party, including the then-17-year-old, for which they were paid… Victim A recalled receiving $400 in cash from Representative Gaetz that evening, which she understood to be payment for sex. At the time, she had just completed her junior year of high school. Victim A said that she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age.”

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[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

In another text message exchange cited by the committee, Greenberg exchanged messages with a woman in September 2018, writing, “If you have a friend that is down, perhaps all four of us can meet up later.”

The woman responded she did have a friend who could meet up, adding, “I usually do $400 per meet.”

Greenberg responded by sending a photo of Gaetz holding out a phone and taking a selfie. “Oooh my friend thinks he’s really cute!” the woman responded.

“Well, he’s down here only for the day, we work hard and play hard,” Greenberg wrote. “Have you ever tried molly.”

. . . Committee investigators concluded that between 2017 to 2019, Gaetz “used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions.”

“There is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz used cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana. At least two women saw Representative Gaetz using cocaine and ecstasy at different events,” the committee wrote. “Additionally, nearly every witness interviewed observed Representative Gaetz using marijuana.”

[-] Rapidcreek@lemmy.world 57 points 1 day ago

Now it's time for Rapey to follow through on his oft made threats to out all the other republicans with sexual skeletons in their closets.

[-] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 1 day ago

Wasn't that Perjury Greene's threat?

[-] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 5 points 23 hours ago

it's part of the skullduggery oath. kinda like "no honor among thieves", but more like "don't tread on me or I'll make sure everyone gets a good stomp".

[-] orclev@lemmy.world 48 points 1 day ago

Pretty sure both of those things violate federal laws too. Not that laws matter with Donvict in charge.

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago

The article I read earlier said he broke federal laws too. Yet I keep seeing the headline worded this way, seemingly to soften the truth. So fucking disgusting, this country

[-] gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world 30 points 1 day ago

They didn't matter with Garland in charge and that's at least as big of a problem. Whoever manages to remove Trump from office needs to finally hold the whole criminal apparatus that has propped up the Republican party for decades accountable.

[-] floofloof@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 day ago

How do you hold the corrupt Supreme Court accountable?

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

With a silencer - or so I'm told. I wouldn't know.

[-] gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world 4 points 23 hours ago

Charge them for their criminal conduct (e.g. taking bribes), arrest and jail them, impeach them, convict them, and finally imprison them. After that, we should think about reforming the way we select our federal judges and adding seats to different benches.

[-] Xanis@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

You set a shocking precedent and then write into law that it can never be done again. Pretty much play the Republican game except better. In fact, this could fix pretty much everything. Enact incredible, and sometimes extremely grey, choices and decisions to repair things. Then make sure it could never legally happen again.

The person or people doing this would have to immediately step down. I would prefer if they took a hit for the team to really cement the sacrifice. Alas, we do not live in that sort of world.

[-] Nollij@sopuli.xyz 5 points 1 day ago

The official answer is a constitutional amendment. It seems wild to me that these ever had a chance of passing.

[-] mPony@kbin.earth 6 points 1 day ago

The Diana Ross Court

[-] Tolookah@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 day ago

Supremer Court?

[-] floofloof@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 day ago

Ultimate Supremest Top Court of Best Judges and No Backsies.

[-] Rapidcreek@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

I dont think there are comparable federal laws for rape. Human trafficking and wire fraud, sure but rape is dependant on the laws of the state. The Federal case was hampered by the lack of credible witnesses. The state of Florida will do nothing because DeSantis and Rapey are good friends.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Not many people seem to know about the lack of witnesses and think dropping the case was garden variety corruption.

But! The (former) minor in question and his good buddy Joel have both been happily singing their little hearts out. Wish they had sung early enough to nail him, but I'm happy enough they finally talked. And boy did a bunch of other people talk!

[-] Rapidcreek@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Joel stole millions of dollars while being tax collector of a Florida county. What did he do with that money. He, and his good friend Matt used it as fuel for coke and sex parties. So he rolled on Matt. He's now in jail for federal fraud charges.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago

I'm well aware. And Mr. Joel is in the pen for it.

[-] dditty@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago

The committee said it did not find sufficient evidence Gaetz violated the federal sex trafficking statute because although he transported women across state lines for the purpose of sex, those women were all 18 or older at the time.

What exactly is the purpose of that federal sex trafficking law if it doesn't apply in this case!?

[-] Rapidcreek@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

That's a trafficking charge. But, as far as I know, the Feds had a problem with credible witnesses. The victim is now working as a porn star. The DOJ thought that they shouldn't prosecute a case they would lose.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purposes of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age (22 USC § 7102).

None of that applies here.

[-] Nougat@fedia.io 3 points 1 day ago

A lot of that applies here.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago

OK. Exactly which part. Remember, we're talking law here, not making shit up.

https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/static/2024/12/Committee-Report.pdf

commercial sex act

Yep.

induced by force, fraud, or coercion

Nope.

or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years

That "or" is doing some heavy lifting. What a muddy law. And I'm sure it was intended that way.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

The age of consent is 18 in only 10 states, Florida being one of them. And I'm certain you can't be nailed for past drug use. Also, they cleared him on interstate sex trafficking.

So what can we nail him for? Florida can surely proceed with statutory rape. Not sure what else. How about hiring prostitutes?

[-] orclev@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Yeah, so basically because he kept his statutory rape to a single state, and that states corrupt governor will never prosecute him then he gets away with it. Ron DeSantis needs to be fired. Preferably out of a cannon into the sun.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 1 points 18 hours ago

Well, yeah? So back to the original question, what else can he be nailed for?

[-] orclev@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago

In theory or in practice? In theory I'm sure a whole laundry list. In practice absolutely nothing because literally everyone in a position to do something is either corrupt or incompetent.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago

At the time, she had just completed her junior year of high school.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 10 points 23 hours ago

“The Committee received testimony that Victim A and Representative Gaetz had sex twice during the party, including at least once in the presence of other party attendees,”

[-] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

Dude is so gross...

I believe he doomed himself the moment he publicly mentioned Republican coke orgies. Because of that, I think he might actually see consequences. But maybe not. DeSantis will probably pardon him anyway.

[-] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 13 hours ago

Rape really should not be pardonable at any level

[-] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 4 points 23 hours ago

dude needs to be in fucking JAIL

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

He was my Congressman, so I've been following closer than most. Holy shit did a pile of people throw him under the bus! My eyes were bugging out at all the dirt they shoveled up.

This article has even more:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/23/politics/matt-gaetz-house-ethics-report/index.html

LOL! They got texts and everything!

Gaetz is a rich frat boy that had never gotten in trouble. The second he got on the national stage he was showing other House members nude pics of the women he was banging. Anyone remember that? LOL, even the GOP wouldn't have him as AG, and the GOP sets a low bar.

[-] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 23 hours ago

The GOP only turned on him because he talked about their secret coke orgies in public.

[-] Kraven_the_Hunter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 hour ago

Wow, I thought it was the closeted, gay cripple that doomed his career by talking about the secret drug orgies. It's so hard to remember which Republican stabbed the others in the back.

[-] nimble@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 day ago

Full ethics report

[+] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org -8 points 1 day ago

I know it's still illegal, but if he didn't know that's not nearly as salacious as what was suggested (I thought this was more than one, like a regular thing). I guess the rumors were hyped up. Or the evidence was not provable enough to document?

[-] Tyfud@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

There's a huge difference between being told their age, and lying about it, and intentionally not asking for their age, knowing they're a junior in high school (the math is easy) so you have plausible deniability.

He was a Lawyer FFS. Of course he knows the tricks of the trade.

He absolutely knew they were underage. But because he explicitly didn't ask, and they explicitly didn't tell, he has plausible deniability.

You don't fuck around with "teens" and not ask their age/get verification if you're on the up and up. It's really fucking easy to ask for their age, or some form of ID to prove it so you avoid jail/legal repercussions.

Not doing that says a lot more about his intent than anything else in the article.

[-] Nollij@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 day ago

I don't know Florida's law, but mine (and others) say things like "did knowingly, or was negligent in". If they met at a bar/club that's checking IDs, that would probably be ok. But I somehow doubt that's where he met the high schooler. High schoolers tend to associate with other high schoolers, in places full of high schoolers.

[-] nimble@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 23 hours ago

It was at a sex party after paying a friend $400 to provide the girl. If you didn't ask questions then it's because you didn't want to know.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 2 points 22 hours ago

In this particular situation, "didn't know" and "didn't care" are the same.

[-] nimble@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The document found gaetz violated floridas statutory rape law.

The report found many laws broken, but the DOJ was not acting on any of the information during their investigation and it sounds like were not particularly helpful in the House Committee's investigation.

So just because gaetz wasn't charged with anything doesn't mean that he didn't break any laws. The house report and appendices have quite a bit of evidence in it including text conversations, interviews with victims, payment history, and more.

[-] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago

A civil suit might be a winner.

this post was submitted on 23 Dec 2024

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