Gaetz says he won't resign over 'false' sex allegations
Embattled congressman Matt Gaetz says he will not resign from Congress
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Rep. Matt Gaetz said he will not leave Congress and denied that he “slept with” an underage girl, suggesting that accusations against him stem from political foes angry that he “loathes the swamp.”
The Florida Republican, starting his fifth year in Congress, has been battling to preserve his political career since reports last week that he is under federal investigation for possible sex crimes. In a column Monday in the Washington Examiner, a conservative news outlet, Gaetz predicted that “some of my feckless colleagues in Congress" will call for him to step down.
“No, I am absolutely not resigning," he wrote.
An aggressive and high-profile ally of Donald Trump Gaetz has so far received almost no public support from his congressional Republican colleagues and none from the former president.
Gaetz, 38, is under scrutiny over whether he violated federal sex trafficking laws, including if he had sex with a 17-year-old and other underage girls, paid them or offered gifts in exchange for sex. That's according to people familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they could not discuss details publicly.
Gaetz, who has not been charged with any crimes, denied the accusations Monday.
“First, I have never, ever paid for sex," he wrote. “And second, I, as an adult man, have not slept with a 17-year-old."
Engaged since New Year's Eve, he wrote, “My lifestyle of yesteryear may be different from how I live now, but it was not and is not illegal."
Gaetz used his column to attack Democrats, news organizations and others, saying his enemies are “just repeating false allegations about a congressman who loathes the swamp and fights both sides of it on a daily basis.”
He also predicted, “I’m sure some partisan crooks in Merrick Garland’s Justice Department want to pervert the truth and the law to go after me."
The FBI, the Biden administration's Justice Department and “the Cheney political dynasty" were among the entities Gaetz accused of unjustly targeting him.
The Justice Department investigation began last year while Trump was still president. Gaetz helped lead an unsuccessful battle in January to depose Rep. Liz Cheney R-Wyo., daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, from her job as No. 3 House GOP leader. Days earlier, she was among just 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump.
Gaetz's article was published the same day a former congressional aide told reporters he was interviewed last week by the FBI. Nathan Nelson, a military adviser who left Gaetz's office in October, said he was questioned about whether he'd left that job because he knew of Gaetz's “involvement in illegal activities."
“I’m here this morning to state that nothing could be farther from the truth. Neither I nor any other member of Congressman Gaetz's staff had any knowledge of illegal activities,” Nelson said at his home in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
Nelson provided no specific details about the FBI's questioning. Without detailing them, he said he believes the charges against Gaetz are false.
___
Associated Press writer Bobby Caina Calvan in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.