Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs What’s NewFormer GOP Representative Matt Gaetz has asked for “help” in a fundraising email after the House Ethics Committee released its report on its investigation into his alleged misconduct.Why It MattersGaetz fundraising email comes as people have speculated what the next move will be for the former Florida lawmaker.The House Ethics Committee released a report stating that it found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz allegedly “regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him,” in 2017 “engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl,” used or possessed illegal drugs and accepted gifts beyond what is “permissible,” among the report’s allegations.Gaetz has denied wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged. Newsweek reached out to a spokesperson for Gaetz for comment via email.
Former Representative Matt Gaetz attends a Republican House caucus meeting on September 30, 2023. Gaetz, a Florida Republican, is fundraising off the House Ethics Committee report detailing alleged misconduct.
Former Representative Matt Gaetz attends a Republican House caucus meeting on September 30, 2023. Gaetz, a Florida Republican, is fundraising off the House Ethics Committee report detailing alleged misconduct.
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What To KnowGaetz has not said the he plans to fun for office in the future, but his Florida Firebrand PAC has sent out fundraising emails following the committee’s release of the report.”This SHAM WITCH-HUNT is only happening because I ruffled the feathers of the Radical Left and Uniparty during my time as a Congressman. There’s a reason why they didn’t ever present these allegations in a forum where they could be challenged,” one email reads.He wrote that he is now being “FORCED to defend myself after the fact during the holiday season” and that he needs the “help” of his supporters.The PAC launched earlier in December to lead “the charge against the corrupt swamp and the Uniparty by exposing the truth.””The fight continues for the future of our country and Florida. It is America First. Always,” the PAC’s website reads.Also on Tuesday, Gaetz declined to rule out a quick return to Congress for the House speaker battle in an interview with Semafor.”As America’s greatest president says, ‘We’ll see,’ ” he said when the publication asked about whether he plans to participate in the Speaker race.Earlier in December, Gaetz posted about the possibility to X (formerly Twitter).”Someone suggested the following plan to me: 1. Show up 1/3/2025 to congress 2. Participate in Speaker election (I was elected to the 119th Congress, after all…) 3. Take the oath 4. File a privileged motion to expose every “me too” settlement paid using public funds (even of former members) 5. Resign and start my @OANN program at 9pm EST on January 6, 2025,” he wrote on December 18.Gaetz resigned from Congress after President-elect Donald Trump named him as his pick to lead the Justice Department when he returns to the White House in January. After several days of backlash and questions about whether he could be confirmed by the Senate, Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration.He wrote in his resignation letter that he does not “intend” to return to Congress in January despite winning reelection in November.What People Are SayingChad Pergram, Fox News’ senior congressional correspondent, on X: “Gaetz suggested over the weekend he wasn’t interested in public office again, ranging from the Senate to FL Governo. But now he is fundraising off the Ethics Committee report.”Jon Parker, senior lecturer in American studies at Keele University in the U.K. previously told Newsweek on whether Gaetz could return to Congress: “Legally, it is ambiguous because the right to resign isn’t in the Constitution. It is conceivable that the House could refuse the resignation.”Representative Sean Casten, an Illinois Democrat, on CNN: “The House has to hold itself to a higher ethical standard if we’re to have the trust of the American people. We pushed for the release of this report because we want to make sure the House continues to hold itself to that standard.”What Happens NextGaetz is set to begin hosting The Matt Gaetz Show, a political talk show on the conservative-leaning One America News Network, beginning January 6, 2025.
