The Trump transition team is doubling down on his pick for attorney general, pushing Matt Gaetz through even after an attorney who represents two women says his clients told the House Ethics Committee that the then-congressman paid them for sex. One also says she saw the Florida Republican having sex with a minor at a house party.
“She testified [that] in July of 2017, at this house party, she was walking out to the pool area, and she looked to her right, and she saw Rep. Gaetz having sex with her friend, who was 17,” Florida attorney Joel Leppard told ABC News.
“Just to be clear, both of your clients testified that they were paid by Rep. Gaetz to have sex?” ABC News’ Juju Chang asked Leppard.
“That’s correct,” Leppard replied.
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“The House was very clear about that and went through each. They essentially put the Venmo payments on the screen and asked about them. And my clients repeatedly testified, ‘What was this payment for?’ ‘That was for sex,'” Leppard said.
ABC News’ Jay O’Brien on-air on Monday added, “We also know this attorney says that his clients told the House committee that they witnessed parties, that there were illicit drugs allegedly there, and then, of course, that they witnessed those alleged sexual encounters that Matt Gaetz has denied.”
Gaetz has denied all accusations and the Trump team is not backing
“Matt Gaetz will be the next Attorney General. He’s the right man for the job and will end the weaponization of our justice system,” Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer told ABC News in response to the latest news.
“These are baseless allegations intended to derail the second Trump administration. The Biden Justice Department investigated Gaetz for years and cleared him of wrongdoing. The only people who went to prison over these allegations were those lying about Matt Gaetz.”
The U.S. Dept. of Justice declined to bring any criminal charges against Gaetz.
Last week Leppard called for the House Ethics Committee to release the report on its years-long investigation into the Florida Republican congressman who resigned from the House immediately after President-elect Trump named him as his Dept. of Justice nominee.
In general, the House Ethics Committee will not release a report if the subject is no longer a member of Congress.
“As the Senate considers former Rep. Gaetz’s nomination for attorney general, several questions demand answers,” Leppard said. “What if multiple credible witnesses provided evidence of behavior that would constitute serious criminal violations?”
Another attorney, John Clune, who “represents the former minor at the center of the probe, called for the release of the Ethics Committee’s report on Thursday,” ABC added.
As for Gaetz’s nomination, ABC News noted, “President-elect Trump has repeatedly urged GOP leadership to bypass the traditional confirmation process through recess appointments, whereby Trump could appoint his cabinet while Congress is out of session.”
The House Ethics Committee has said it was investigating allegations that Gaetz “may have engaged in sexual misconduct and/or illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, in violation of House Rules, laws, or other standards of conduct.”
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It is widely believed the Committee also investigated allegations Gaetz may have engaged in sex trafficking of a minor and sex with a minor.
On his website, Leppard last year wrote: “’Statutory rape’ is a term referring to sexual activity between an adult and a minor below the legal age of consent. But what defines this age?”
“In Florida, the age of consent is 18. So, any sexual engagement with someone under 18 by an individual 18 or older is considered statutory rape, even if the minor consented.”
He also referred to Florida’s “Romeo & Juliet” law, which “is designed for those close to age, emphasizing genuine youthful relationships.” It does not appear Gaetz would have been protected by that law given he was older than 24 at the time of the alleged act.
