Matt Gaetz accused of paying for sex and using drugs by US congressional panel

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Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s former pick for US attorney-general, was accused by the House ethics committee of having sex with an underaged girl, paying women for sex and using illegal drugs in an explosive report published on Monday.

The panel found “substantial evidence” that the former Republican congressman had violated not only House rules, but also state and federal laws. 

“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 panel concluded.

Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing, and posted on X that he was not charged with a crime after an earlier investigation into sexual misconduct by the Department of Justice.

The controversial Florida Republican was picked by Trump, the president-elect, to be his attorney-general in mid-November. Just days later Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration, saying his selection was “unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance transition”, referring to Trump’s pick for vice-president JD Vance.

Trump later picked former Florida state attorney-general Pam Bondi to replace Gaetz.