Ethics report finds ‘substantial evidence’ Matt Gaetz violated statutory rape law: Live updates
Gaetz stands accused of buying and using illegal drugs, including from his office on Capitol Hill, according to the report
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Your support makes all the difference.The House Ethics Committee report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has been released, with the panel having “determined there is substantial evidence” that the former congressman and attorney general nominee violated a statutory rape law.
“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.
Before its release, Gaetz sued the committee to block the release of the report that found that he paid thousands of dollars to more than a dozen women — including a 17-year-old girl — for sex.
In a federal lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., the Republican accused the committee of making an “unconstitutional” attempt to “exercise jurisdiction over a private citizen” by releasing a report “containing potentially defamatory allegations.”
He asked for a judge to issue an emergency order to block the report’s release, but drafts had already been published in several news outlets Monday morning.
Publishing the report would mark an “unprecedented overreach that threatens fundamental constitutional rights and established procedural protections,” attorneys for the former congressman wrote.
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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.
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Mandelson an ‘asset’ to UK-US ties, No 10 says after Trump ally jibe
Downing Street defended the Labour grandee as a ‘significant asset’ to the transatlantic relationship.
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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.
Gaetz is now suing in the hopes of getting an order to block the public release of the report.
“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:
Ethics committee report finds evidence Matt Gaetz paid 17-year-old-girl for sex
Former congressman violated standards ‘prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,’ report finds
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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.
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“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.
Trump threatens EU with tariffs unless it makes ‘large scale’ purchase of US energy
Europe is the largest importer of American gas and was expected to increase its purchases in the future
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