'Tight-lipped' House Ethics Committee quietly subpoenas DOJ records in Matt Gaetz probe

Although Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) has a strong rapport with former President Donald Trump and other MAGA Republicans, the far-right congressman remains a divisive figure in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Allies of former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) still resent Gaetz for triggering the "motion to vacate" that led to him being ousted as House speaker. And Gaetz has been the subject of an ongoing probe by the House Ethics Committee, which is chaired by Rep. Michael Guest (R-Mississippi).

According to Politico sources, the Ethics Committee has subpoenaed the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for information on Gaetz.

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The DOJ investigated allegations of Gaetz having sex with a minor — allegations that Gaetz has flatly denied. But that investigation was concluded in 2023, and no charges were ever filed.

Politico's Jordain Carney, in an article published on May 16, explains, "The subpoena from the notoriously private (Ethics) Committee has not been previously reported…. The tight-lipped panel, which generally won't comment on an investigation until its conclusion except with occasional non-descript updates, has been quietly moving forward with a long-running investigation into Gaetz."

Carney notes that Gaetz has "characterized the investigation by the House panel as an attempt to get back at him for his role in spearheading the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last fall."

"The tight-lipped panel, which generally won't comment on an investigation until its conclusion except with occasional non-descript updates, has been quietly moving forward with a long-running investigation into Gaetz," Carney reports. "The (Ethics) Committee said, in 2021, that it would look into a range of allegations, which Gaetz has repeatedly denied, including those involving sexual misconduct and illicit drug use."

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Read Politico's full report at this link.