Former Representative Matt Gaetz shared a handwritten note from President-elect Donald Trump after the release of a damning House Ethics Committee report detailing allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use during Gaetz’s time in Congress.
“I got a great note from President Trump!” Gaetz posted on social media alongside an image of the note, which was scrawled on an article from journalist Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist. The article addressed the accusations against Gaetz, describing the claims as unreliable.
“Matt, Very Unfair!” Trump wrote in his signature black Sharpie. The article in question, dated November 17, 2024, highlighted the serious credibility issues of the witnesses involved in the ethics investigation and noted that the Department of Justice had previously dropped its criminal investigation against Gaetz.
I got a great note from President Trump! pic.twitter.com/gGqsev3HVp
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) December 24, 2024
The House Ethics Committee’s report alleged that Gaetz paid over $90,000 for sexual activities, including with a minor, and provided illicit drugs at parties. The committee stated that Gaetz’s actions, from 2017 to 2020, involved “tens of thousands of dollars in payments to women likely in connection with sexual activity and/or drug use.”
Gaetz, however, has consistently denied any criminal wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as baseless.
“My 30s were an era of working very hard – and playing hard too,” Gaetz wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank, and smoked more than I should have earlier in life.”
The Ethics Committee released its report days before Christmas, and Gaetz argued that it was part of a smear campaign. “There is a reason they did this to me in a Christmas Eve-Eve report and not in a courtroom of any kind where I could present evidence and challenge witnesses,” he wrote.
The allegations against Gaetz originated with Joel Greenberg, a disgraced Florida politician and former Seminole County tax collector, who is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence. Greenberg, according to Hemingway’s report, had a history of making unsubstantiated claims and unreliable statements.
The Ethics Committee’s findings reignited controversy, as two Republican panel members—Dave Joyce of Ohio and Andrew Garbarino of New York—joined Democrats in voting to release the report. Gaetz had already resigned from Congress in mid-November, shortly before the report’s release.
Notably, Gaetz had recently been named by Trump as his pick for Attorney General, but he withdrew from consideration after it became clear he would not receive enough Senate support for confirmation.
Looking ahead, Gaetz announced plans to host a primetime television show on One America News Network starting in January. Speaking at Turning Point’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, he hinted at future political ambitions, including a potential run for governor of Florida or a challenge for Marco Rubio’s U.S. Senate seat.
“Floridians have asked me to eye the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee,” Gaetz said. “Maybe special counsel to go after insider trading in Congress… or maybe I’ll just run for Marco Rubio’s vacant seat in the U.S. Senate.”
As Gaetz prepares to enter the world of media and plots his political future, the controversy surrounding his ethics investigation continues to be a focal point in his post-Congressional career.
