Congress Knew About Matt Gaetz. They hid the truth from the public.
- Rebekah Jones
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
In December 2024, the U.S. House Committee on Ethics completed a draft report concluding that Representative Matt Gaetz had engaged in a wide range of unethical — and in some cases illegal — conduct while serving in Congress.
The report was circulated privately among committee members and staff.
Not long after, Gaetz’s nomination to serve as U.S. Attorney General was quietly withdrawn.
And then the report stayed hidden.
It wasn’t released to the public until last week — nearly a year later — when it confirmed, in stark detail, what myself and many other journalists and investigators had already reported years earlier.
What’s striking isn’t just what the report says. It’s how long Congress knew it — and who stayed silent while voters went to the polls anyway.
What the Ethics Committee Found
After a multi-year investigation that started in April 2021, the House Ethics Committee concluded there was substantial evidence that Matt Gaetz:
Paid multiple women for sex between 2017 and 2020
Used illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, while serving in Congress
Accepted improper gifts, including private travel and a luxury apartment
Obstructed the committee’s investigation by refusing to testify, withholding documents, and intimidating witnesses
Engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old in 2017, conduct the committee found violated Florida statutory rape law
The committee’s conclusions were unequivocal. It found Gaetz’s conduct violated House rules, federal standards, and state law.
The United States House of Representatives confirmed that Matt Gaetz is a rapist.
The investigation was thorough. The evidence was corroborated. The findings were finalized.
And then the public was kept in the dark.
What They Knew — and When They Knew It
The Ethics Committee did not uncover this information after Matt Gaetz left Congress.
Much of the evidence cited in the final report — witness testimony, payment records, travel documentation, and contemporaneous communications — had already been collected and evaluated before the 2022 midterm elections.
The committee knew while Gaetz was running for re-election in 2022.
The committee knew even more while he ran again in 2024.
During both election cycles, the committee declined to release its findings, issue warnings, or even acknowledge the scope of the investigation. Not one member — Republican or Democrat — publicly broke ranks to say that voters deserved to know what Congress itself had substantiated.
This silence wasn’t the result of new discoveries or last-minute revelations. It was a deliberate choice to keep the report confidential while a sitting member sought — and won — re-election.
Public Defense From Inside the Room
In some cases, the response went beyond silence.
While the investigation was ongoing, several lawmakers publicly downplayed or dismissed the allegations against Gaetz — even though they had access to information the public did not.
That includes Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat from Florida, who publicly framed the allegations against Gaetz as unproven or politically motivated.
Those statements were made while the committee already possessed evidence that would later support findings of criminal and ethical violations.
Not only did he make those comments with both professional and personal knowledge of Gaetz’ activities, but he publicly supported Matt Gaetz’ nomination to AG.
The distinction matters. These were not outside commentators reacting to rumors. These were lawmakers with privileged knowledge choosing to shape the public narrative anyway.
And Moskowitz’s comments specifically should ring alarm bells. After all, Moskowitz and Gaetz’ friendship goes back even further and allegations that Moskowitz was involved in the very same activity have still not been properly investigated or addressed.
Not only is Moskowitz’ reputation mired by his closeness with Gaetz, but his allegiance with Ron DeSantis and republican donors is reflected in his anti-Democratic voting record.
The Report That Arrived Too Late
The Ethics Committee completed its work in December 2024. Gaetz resigned from Congress shortly thereafter, triggering House rules that allowed the report’s release to be delayed.
That delay had consequences.
Voters in 2022 and 2024 cast ballots without access to information Congress itself deemed credible and serious. The public debate surrounding Gaetz’s brief Attorney General nomination unfolded without the benefit of the committee’s findings. Accountability, when it finally arrived, came only after elections were over and political damage had already been contained.
The Florida Bar’s Response
With the report now public, attention turned to whether the Florida Bar would take disciplinary action against Gaetz, who remains a licensed attorney.
Last week, the Bar declined to do so.
In its response, the Florida Bar concluded that the conduct detailed in the Ethics Committee’s report — including statutory rape, drug use, and obstruction — had “nothing to do with practicing law,” and therefore did not warrant discipline.
Legal ethics experts have questioned that reasoning. State bars routinely discipline attorneys for conduct unrelated to courtroom practice when it reflects dishonesty, criminality, or moral unfitness.
In this case, the file was closed.
A Familiar Pattern
The decision stands in contrast to the Florida Bar’s aggressive pursuit of other attorneys for conduct far less serious.
For years, the Bar has pursued disciplinary actions against attorney Daniel Uhlfelder for satirical and political speech criticizing Governor Ron DeSantis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The juxtaposition is difficult to ignore: sustained scrutiny for protest and satire, and institutional indifference toward drugs, sex trafficking, prostitution, rape, and corruption.
Why This Still Matters
This story isn’t just about Matt Gaetz.
It’s about an Ethics Committee that had credible evidence of misconduct and chose silence while voters made decisions. It’s about lawmakers who publicly minimized allegations despite access to damning information. And it’s about professional institutions that apply standards unevenly, depending on who is involved.
I reported the substance of these allegations years ago because the evidence was already there. The House Ethics Committee has now confirmed it. The Florida Bar has declined to act on it.
The public deserved the truth sooner — not after elections, not after nominations, and not after accountability could be safely postponed.
Sources
Original Mesoscale News investigations:
Matt Gaetz: Drugs, Sex, and Murder
Matt Gaetz: Boy, Interrupted
Full House Ethics Committee report:
Florida Bar response coverage:
Special to Big Mouth Media from Rebekah Jones at Mesoscale. Originally published on January 23, 2026.
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