The sexual misconduct investigation against Matt Gaetz has become even more serious

• The House Ethics Committee issued a rare statement Tuesday regarding its investigation into Matt Gaetz.

• The panel is investigating whether he attempted to obstruct official investigations into his conduct.

• Added to this are the existing allegations of sexual misconduct.

The House Ethics Committee made it clear on Tuesday that it is continuing to investigate Representative Matt Gaetz.

In addition to the long-standing allegations of sexual misconduct, the panel is now investigating whether the controversial Florida congressman “attempted to obstruct government investigations into his conduct.”

This rare public statement came after Gaetz, who led the campaign to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, denounced the committee in a Monday post on X and blamed the former speaker for the ongoing investigation.

“This is Soviet,” Gaetz wrote. McCarthy has long claimed that Gaetz called for a vote on his ouster because of the Ethics Committee investigation, which the Florida congressman denies.

While the committee said it had “difficulty” obtaining relevant information from Gaetz, it said it had “spoken to more than a dozen witnesses, issued 25 subpoenas, and reviewed thousands of pages of documents” as part of its investigation.

The committee has been investigating Gaetz since April 2021 but had relied on the Justice Department as it conducted its own sex trafficking probe into the Florida congressman. The department closed that probe last year without charging Gaetz, prompting the committee to reopen its own investigation in May 2023.

At the heart of both investigations was allegations that Gaetz violated sex trafficking laws and had sex with a 17-year-old girl.

The committee said on Tuesday that the scope of the investigation had changed.

While the committee is still investigating whether Gaetz was guilty of “sexual assault and illegal drug use,” the panel said it had stopped investigating allegations that he displayed explicit images in the House chamber, used campaign funds for personal purposes or accepted bribes.

Overall, the committee is now investigating whether Gaetz:

• Sexual assault and illegal drug use.

• Accepted inappropriate gifts.

• Granted special privileges and benefits to people with whom he had a personal relationship.

• Attempted to obstruct government investigations into his conduct.

It is unclear when the committee’s work will be completed, but over the past year the body has taken a more aggressive approach to monitoring the conduct of its members.

In November, the committee published an incriminating report on then-Representative George Santos, which led to his expulsion a few weeks later.

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