​Ethics Committee has evidence Gaetz took trip with woman his friend paid for sex: report

The House Ethics Committee has obtained text messages showing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) took a three-day trip to the Florida Keys with the woman his associate Joel Greenberg paid for sex acts, reported ABC News on Wednesday.

"In the alleged text messages described exclusively to ABC News, the then-freshman congressman appeared to message a woman, who ABC News is not identifying, asking if she would fly on a private plane to the Florida Keys for a trip with Gaetz, three other women, and one other man," reported Will Steakin. "'Hey — any interest in flying on a private plane to the keys May 19-21?' Gaetz allegedly wrote to the woman, who was older than 21 at the time, according to multiple sources familiar with the messages."

"Gaetz then allegedly said that the trip would feature '2 guys, 4 girls. A very high-quality adventurous group,' according to the messages, which have previously not been reported on," said the report. The woman then wrote back, "Yeah I'm in," and Gaetz responded, "Fantastic. As is true with all time you spend w me, it'll be fun and chill […] You have a passport?"

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Gaetz, a far-right congressional ally of former President Donald Trump who led the charge to vote former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) out of the House speakership, was investigated by the FBI previously over allegations that he helped transport an underage woman across state lines for sex.

Greenberg, a local county tax collector in Florida, was charged and pleaded guilty in connection with that investigation amid revelations that Gaetz sent odd Venmo payments to him, but Gaetz never was charged with any crime in this probe. The congressman maintains he has not broken any laws. However, the House Ethics Committee subsequently opened its own investigation into this incident, along with other allegations that Gaetz has engaged in drug use and misused campaign funds.

Publicly, Gaetz claimed to have worked to remove McCarthy because he had broken congressional spending promises he made to the far-right House Freedom Caucus; however, he has reportedly confessed to friends that the real reason he ousted McCarthy was payback for the Ethics Committee probe against him.